R500 million Covid-19 hospital can’t be used to treat Covid-19

On Monday the DA said that a R500 million hospital built to treat Covid-19 patients will no longer serve its initial purpose, but rather be used as a quarantine facility.

This says the DA is due to the scarcity of specialist staff and the hospital’s location.

The DA said this was revealed at the Gauteng Command Council presentation on Friday.

The party has since criticised the provincial development about the decision to convert the Anglo Gold Ashanti hospital into a quarantine facility.

“The renovations were costly because intensive care wards were built in this hospital, but these will not be used because there are no specialist staff for them and the hospital is far from population centres,” reads a DA statement.

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“This highlights a massive waste of money as there are lots of empty hotels or other government buildings that could be used for quarantine and isolation of suspected and confirmed mild Covid-19 cases.”

The party has also called for Gauteng Premier David Makhura to be held accountable amid ongoing investigations by the SIU into irregularities in the awarding of contracts for the hospital.

“The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is probing irregularities in the award of contracts for the work at this hospital which has taken six months longer than planned. Premier Makhura is accountable for this scandalous misuse of money that should have assisted other hospitals to better cope with Covid-19 and prevent further loss of life,” reads the DA’s statement.