THE work of rebuilding the fire-damaged Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg will only be completed by the end of 2023.
The rebuilding of the hospital has now been handed over to the National Health Department.
Vuyo Mhaga, spokesperson for Gauteng Premier David Makhura, said the rebuilding project is expected to take over a year.
“The initial view of the colleagues in the National DOH, is that by October of 2023 we will be able to finish the project. In the middle of March we will be able to come back and give the numbers. Up until that work is done we can’t tell you how much the costs will be the work is currently underway.”
During a press briefing held by the Gauteng government on Thursday, the Head of Infrastructure at the Department of Health Ayanda Dakela said the latest date has been “fast-tracked”.
“The initial arrangement was 2027, but I am planning to fast track the whole thing. The approach is going to be an accelerated approach where milestones will be flowing parallel to make sure that we cover as many items as possible within a short space of time.”
Head of the Department’s Disaster Committee Professor Steve Moeng admitted the situation at the hospital has left staff frustrated.
“Our frustration is that we really wish that this could’ve happened a lot sooner for the sake of those in the service that we are rendering services to. The implication and pressure on the whole system is undeniable and I am not going to waste time around the implication to the Gauteng health system,”said Moeng.
“We’ve had a lot of meetings up to now for most of us, we would really like to hope that this new energy and direction will end up with results. Those results are what we are going to look forward to so that we don’t lose a lot of our staff that we have already lost.”
Gauteng officials said the cause of the fire that gutted large parts of the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg last year is still unknown.
Gauteng provincial government spokesperson Thabo Masebe said about 30%of the hospital’s infrastructure that was destroyed has still not been fixed.
This includes the casualty, psychiatric, and cardiothoracic ICU wards of the hospital. The department says renovations are expected to be finalised by April next year.
“The cause of fire is still unknown they are still waiting for the report from the police to see if such people must be held accountable, the budget is still to be determined,” said Masebe.
- * Inside Politics
