Will Gauteng’s six new hospitals be built speedily within budget?
1 March 2020
The Democratic Alliance welcomes the announcement by Gauteng Premier David Makhura in his State of the Province (SOPA) address last week that six new hospitals will be built in Gauteng in this decade.
My concern is that the Gauteng provincial government has a poor track record in building health facilities - it usually takes double the estimated time and double the budget.
Failed promises about hospital building have been made before e.g. former Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi promised a new hospital in Soshanguve six years ago.
It is estimated that about 2000 extra hospital beds are needed for Gauteng’s growing population, and new hospitals need to be in places where patients are currently grossly under-served.