Soweto’s Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital would get a R700-million upgrade, Gauteng health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa said in her budget vote speech on Thursday.
She said planning had started on a multi-phased project to provide ”state of the art” facilities at the hospital, her department said in a statement.
The project, which will be undertaken over a period of six years, would also include the revitalisation of health care services in the southern Johannesburg areas. The building of two district hospitals, three community health centres and two clinics
will form part of the project.
The first phase of the Chris Hani-Baragwanath project had begun and included a new renal dialysis unit, speech therapy and audiology centre, paediatric admission ward and bulk stores.
”The revitalisation project will also ensure that the community has better access to services,” Ramokgopa told the provincial legislature.
The current financial year will also see the completion of the new R600-million Pretoria Academic hospital, with 782 beds.
Ramokgopa said the department had invested R698-million in equipment across the province since 1999.
In the last financial year, Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital had acquired two new CT scanners, a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, a R25-million digital angiography suite and extensive modernisation of the intensive care unit equipment.
Ga-Rankuwa’s Dr George Mukhari Hospital had bought R14-million worth of equipment, including 10 ventilators, 20 monitors, and various scopes.
A further R300-million had been allocated to much-needed equipment for the new financial year, while Johannesburg Hospital would receive the first MRI scanner in the province.
Large regional hospitals situated in mostly poor areas were allocated R2,3-billion, while central hospitals would receive R2,6-billion.
An additional R20-million was set aside for the reduction of the backlog in surgical procedures.
As part of the Alexandra Presidential Urban Renewal Programme, the Gauteng health department had also opened 68 additional beds at Edenvale Hospital — moving from 142 beds to 204 beds.
The funding of the Alexandra community health centre had been increased by 11 to R19-million.
Emergency Medical Services received an increase of 9,6% to R259,8-million and 30 new ambulances would be purchased in the next two months.
Primary health care centres in Soweto, Eldorado Park, Orange Farm, Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Randfontein, Bekkersdal, Eersterus and Cullinan would be renovated and completed in the next three years, at a cost of about R60-million and R10-million had been set aside for a dedicated clinic revitalisation programme for 2003.
The total allocation for district health services, excluding nutrition and HIV/Aids was increased by 12% to R1,56-billion. – Sapa