City Press reports that it is not yet clear what will happen to the multimillion-rand hospital in Carletonville on the West Rand as about 20 staff members are set to leave at the end of this month.

The hospital was donated by AngloGold Ashanti, however, the provincial government does not own the building as the donation has apparently not yet been finalised. Gauteng Health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi revealed in the provincial legislature on Tuesday that no decision had yet been taken on the future of the hospital. The hospital’s initial refurbishment budget of R50 million allegedly ballooned to almost R500 million. The provincial government invested R460 million in the hospital after it was identified as a Covid-19 critical care facility. According to Mokgethi, since its official opening in May last year only 147 Covid-19 patients have been treated at the hospital. Jack Bloom, Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on health in Gauteng, said the department had spent about R6 million on staff for this hospital. “However, there are only 34 patients who have been treated there since the beginning of this year. It is no use pumping more money into this white elephant hospital which is likely to become a ghost hospital without staff or adequate medical equipment,” Bloom stated. He reported that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was probing corruption as the refurbishment bill had allegedly escalated to more than R500 million. Mokgethi said her department was working on a strategy to retain the staff.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Yoliswa Sobuwa at City Press (subscriber access only)
• Lees ook, Peperduur fasiliteit dalk binnekort ‘spookhospitaal’, by Maroela Media

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