What was once the flagship of military health service in South Africa and respected as such internationally now needs a close to R1 billion injection to bring it back to working condition.
Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence has been told the estimated final value of the upgrade and refurbishment project at the hospital in Thaba Tshwane is R913 730 313. This is made up of R591 730 313 worth of medical equipment and the balance of R327 000 000 budgeted for building and construction.
SANDF Chief: Military Policy, Strategy and Planning, Major General Michael Ramantswana, told the committee the National Department of Public Works did not address all the Department of Defence (DoD) requirements relating to aspects of functionality and legal compliance.
“Reconfiguration of the first floor and extensive scope changes were necessary to make provision for the upgrading of 13 operating theatres instead of five to accommodate digitalisation technology,” he said, adding the installation of an MRI and CT scanner would ensure all X-ray equipment was housed in one area. A separate isolation/burns unit with its own operating theatre was also included in the refurbishment plan.
Completion of the necessary tender documentation is planned for June this year with the call for tenders and their evaluation expected to be completed by August 31 when a contractor is announced. Construction is expected to start in September with a scheduled completion date of February 2019.
The work also makes provision for an extensive revamp of the hospital’s mechanical and electrical systems. This includes, among others, lifts and electronic systems, fire detection and prevention, access control, building management, evacuation and public address systems.
