Gauteng Premier's Hospital Purchase Plan Is Just Election Stunt Amid Infrastructure Crisis

Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi, has announced the purchase of 18 private hospitals, a move perceived by many as influenced by the ongoing election season. Premier Lesufi's proposal has been labeled nonsensical and unfeasible by some. Premier Lesufi is seemingly living in lalaland! Rather than buying in new facilities, Gauteng's focus should be on addressing the deteriorating infrastructure of its existing hospitals. This includes instances where hospitals have fallen into disrepair due to insufficient maintenance and mismanagement, leading to significant underutilization of their capacities. In light of these challenges, many argue for a shift towards credible clinical asset management led by competent individuals, rather than flashy initiatives that fail to address the fundamental issues plaguing the province's healthcare system.

There are many examples of such facilities. In 2021, the Gauteng Department of Health allocated R50 million for the rehabilitation of a 181-bed AngloGold Ashanti hospital in the West Rand, originally intended as a Covid-19 care facility. However, the project ended up costing R588 million, and the hospital was ultimately abandoned after 15 months due to structural issues rendering it uninhabitable. Similarly, plans to construct six new wards at Kopanong Hospital in 2020 were marred by incompetence, with only a fraction of the intended 300 ICU beds realized despite an expenditure of R200 million. The dire state of Gauteng's healthcare infrastructure is evident in the estimated R6 billion needed for extensive refurbishments to ensure safety, particularly for healthcare workers. Several hospitals have been identified as urgent priorities for renovation, with costs ranging from R166 million to R394 million.

Here is the list of those hospitals and the estimated costs:

Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital - R394m

Helen Joseph Hospital-R379m

Edenvale Hospital - R278m

Kalafong Hospital - R267m

Sizwe Tropical Disease Hospital - R262m

George Mukhari Hospital - R246m

Kopanong Hospital - R229m

Tembisa Hospital - R222m

Jubilee Hospital - R219m

Leratong Hospital - R217m

Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital - R208m

Tambo Memorial Hospital - R200m

South Rand Hospital - R187m

Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital - R184m

Far East Rand Hospital - R184m

Carletonville Hospital - R181m

Sebokeng Hospital - R177m

Yusuf Dadoo Hospital - R166m.

Even if Gauteng can miraculously acquire funds to purchase those hospitals, the Province would still require healthcare workers to staff them. Gauteng recently informed South Africans that they lack the funds to fill existing positions, so the question arises: where will the funding for staffing these new facilities come from?

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