Protea Glen and surrounding communities will be getting a new private hospital as announced by the Clinix Health Group last week at the hospital’s sod turning event.
The hospital will be named Dr Nthato Motlana Memorial Hospital and will be situated next to Protea Glen Mall. Its facilities will include an adult ICU ward, radiology unit, an integrated theatre complex and a maternity ward amongst other things.
The hospital’s main focus will, however, be on women’s health care according to Dr Mashadi Motlana, a member of Clinix Health Group’s board of Directors and daughter to the late Dr Nthato Motlana.
Construction of the hospital is set to begin next month and Clinix hopes to have it up and running within the first half of 2019.
“All the funding for this project has been secured and we are ready to start construction,” said Dr Ayanda Ntsaluba, chairman of the Clinix Health Group board.
“I am very glad that this hospital will have a particular focus on maternity and women’s health because that was one of his [Dr Nthato Motlana] passions. He wanted to specialise in obstetrics but couldn’t after he led a protest at Baragwanath hospital,” said Dr Mashadi Motlana.
Ward 135 Councillor Elliot Sithole welcomed the construction and commissioning of the hospital in his ward and was pleased with being given the opportunity to help advance black business.
“For the first time in Protea Glen there will be an elevator that will remind us that we are going up,” he said in his speech.
The hospital brings new employment opportunities for the residents of Protea Glen and neighbouring communities, Sithole notes that the area is fast growing and provides a lot of economic opportunities.
“We want to see our workers walking to work and this hospital will make that happen for some of our residents,” he continued.
Dr Nthato Motlana was one of the founders of Lesedi Health Group whose name was later changed to Clinix Health Group, he was a pioneer in healthcare in Soweto during the apartheid era.
“This day is a culmination of the recognition of my father’s contribution to the community of Soweto but it is also a culmination of his wish to see black businesses thrive in the form of Clinix and Dr Matseke’s entrepreneurship,” said Dr Mashadi Motlana.
