The building of the controversial new psychiatric ward at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital has now been completed according to the Gauteng Department of Health.
This follows a two-year delay in completing the project and questions raised by the Democratic Alliance’s Jack Bloom on the impact this has had on the hospital’s patients.
Bloom explained that the delay had allegedly been due to the termination of a contract with Chriselda Building Construction, which had been contracted to build the ward, but subsequently, failed to complete the project.
“The Gauteng MEC for Health, Qedani Mahlangu, revealed earlier this month in an oral reply to my question in the Gauteng Legislature that the contract was terminated after [Chriselda] only did phase one of the project,” Bloom said.
“The project was [then] re-advertised in August last year and a replacement contractor was appointed to complete the job, which is now 30 percent complete and it is expected to be finished on 27 September this year at a cost of about R10 million.”
Bloom added that this has had a big impact on patients who remained at the old ward, explaining that the male and female patients had been inadequately separated and forced to use toilets which were in poor condition.
Responding to Bloom’s allegations was Steve Mabona, spokesperson for the health department, who also confirmed the two-year delay and spoke of the progress of the project.
“There were delays in finishing the project, however, all those were sorted out; the project is complete and will be handed over [sometime] in June,” Mabona said.
“These delays were due to the failure of the company contracted to do the project to meet the department’s requirements, which resulted in their contract being terminated.”
Mabona, however, refuted claims that the delay had had an impact on patients in any way, adding that incoming patients had been redirected to South Rand Hospital to avoid an overflow.
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