R380 million hospital standing empty in the Free State
A R380 million hospital built in the Free State town of Trompsburg, continues to stand empty despite being completed over two years ago.
According to health activist groups, clinics and hospitals in the region remain overstretched and under-resourced, reports GroundUp.
“There’s no medical staff, no medical equipment, no patients. Nothing is happening. The hospital was scheduled to open in October 2014, but soon the place is going to start falling apart,” said Mariette Pittaway, the DA spokesperson for health in the Free State.
The Albert Nzula Hospital which was originally scheduled to open in October 2014 has repeatedly kept its doors closed due to a number of infrastructural issues including problems with the building’s sewerage system and matters surrounding the filling of the requisite staff posts.
GroundUp asked when the Albert Nzula hospital will be operational, Free State Department of Health spokesperson Mondli Mvambi replied:
“The operationalisation of the hospital will be determined by the filling of some of the critical posts among the 197 critical posts identified for administrative support services and clinical posts.”
Mvambi also noted that some medical equipment and licences for the new hospital are still outstanding. The hospital was technically operational said Mvambi, as a dispensary and basic emergency medical response facility.
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