Photo for illustration. Facility in Lenasia, 4 July 2021. Photo: The Citizen/Neil McCartney
The Limpopo government is planning to create more than 4 500 jobs through the construction of a R4.5 billion state-of-the-art hospital.
The construction of the hospital was first announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in his budget speech last month.
It was later confirmed by Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha during his State of the Province Address (Sopa) a fortnight ago.
The hospital, according to Limpopo government spokesperson Ndavhe Ramakuela, will be located on the remainder of erf 6861 in the southern part of Polokwane.
The site is situated northeast of the Peter Mokaba Stadium. Ramakuela said the project will create 1 220 part-time and 2 461 full-time jobs.
“When completed, it will come in handy for locals and those living beyond the province’s borders,” he said. “It will save travel costs for patients seeking medical services outside the province while at the same time, attracting patients from other areas.”
Ramakuela said the construction of the hospital was also billed to contribute to the province’s gross domestic product that would, in turn, boost the province’s economy.
The hospital, Ramakuela said, will boast 488 beds and cost the province R4. 5 billion. Yesterday, the elated Limpopo department of health said the province had 43 hospitals, comprising five regional, 34 district and four specialised district hospitals.
It said there were 2 291 doctors working in hospitals across the province’s five districts. Limpopo department of health spokesperson Neil Shikwambane said the number of doctors comprises 174 specialists, 1 373 medical officers, 336 medical officers community services and 408 medical office interns.
He said they were doing all they could to retain all these doctors in the province, especially in hospitals located in far-flung rural areas.
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“As a province that is vastly rural, we have now budgeted to procure 35 new ambulances, but through prioritisation and additional funds we have made orders for 78 ambulances, which will be delivered and commissioned soon,” said Shikwambane.
“We require more funding for ambulances because the current fleet is actually [small] compared to our needs. The department is in a process of requesting additional funding from Treasury in order to add [to] the fleet we currently have.”
He said the vastness of the province means that the ambulances accumulated a lot of mileage in a short space of time. “The road infrastructure, especially in the rural part, plays a role in shortening the lifespan of our ambulances,” said Shikwambane.
“We are aware that government through its road agency and municipalities are working very hard every day to improve the situation at that level.
But the current bad state contributes greatly to the short lifespan of our ambulances. “We are now having 96 ambulances that are grounded from our fleet of 237.
Part of the reasons why our fleet levels are low is that the pace at which we are buying ambulances is way below the level at which they get damaged.”
During his recent Sopa, Mathabatha said he was pleased the construction of the new hospital will create much-needed jobs in Limpopo, adding that this will also give more health relief to the province.
He said the official unemployment rate in the country had de[1]creased in six provinces and that a further decrease was recorded in Limpopo.
According to Mathabatha, the construction of the hospital will help to further reduce unemployment and come in handy in the province’s aggressive fight against the triple challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality which continue to be a concern.
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