The Eastern Cape Department of Health is to spend R1.9 billion in renovating hospitals and building clinics. For the first time in eight years the Eastern Cape Department of Health will not be returning money to National Treasury which gets allocated in the guise of the Infrastructure Grant. The hospitals will provide a conducive working environment for our nurses and doctors to do their jobs efficiently and to provide quality healthcare to our patients. We will provide a safer environment with less infections.
These infrastructural developments will also provide direct and indirect jobs to our people and also stimulate the local economy. The latter are very integral in the upliftment of the lives of our people. The government is investing in the health of its people.
The following hospitals will be revitalised:
- Cecilia Makiwane will be revitalised to the tune of R900 million. This is the fourth phase of construction.
- Livingstone Hospital’s Oncology Unit and Outpatients department will be constructed to the amount of R55 million.
- Frere Hospital’s Oncology Unit will be constructed to the value of R160 million.
- St Elizabeth Hospital is to be constructed from scratch. This phase includes the specialized civil works and preparing for the new hospital. The amount for this phase is R60 million. This is an eight months contract which will start in May 2011.
- St Patricks Hospital contract is to the value of R370 million. It will see the construction of the new Outpatients Department and Casualty Unit.
- Jose Pearson TB Hospital has a new XDR unit. It costs R11 million and is almost in completion phase. This development was jointly funded by the Eastern Cape Department of Health and the Global Fund. There will be lamino flow and natural ventilation when the construction is completed.
- Frontier Hospital will have a new Casualty Unit and Outpatients Department. Two new wards and mortuary will also be constructed. This construction will cost R18million. The paediatric ward will also go ahead this year.
- Nkqubela TB Hospital will see an upgrade of two wards in the MDR Units. Its funded jointly by Eastern Cape Department of Health to the tune of 70% and the Global Fund to the tune of 30%. The value of the project is R7,5 million and will be completed by mid May 2011. The contractor is on site and working.
Socio-economic project deliverables:
- Targeted job opportunities during construction - 1 300 minimum
- Local enterprise participation (LEP) – 59.9% of the project value
- small, meduim and micro enterprises (SMME) involvement (that is packages set aside of SMME) – 41.8%
- Training of life-skills – 3200 courses
- Training of technical skills – 270 learners
- Graduate interns for workplace experience – 48 candidates
- Apprenticeship workplace experience – 30 candidates
Targeted areas:
- Target Area 1 shall be Mdantsane which falls under the jurisdiction of Buffalo City Municipality.
- Target Area 2 shall be the geographic area excluding Target Area 1, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Buffalo City Municipality.
- Target Area 3 shall be the geographic area excluding Target Area 2 which falls within the Eastern Cape.
Labour Recruitment will be done through the centralised labour recruitment office in partnership with Department of Labour in Mdantsane
Source: Eastern Cape Health
