Four new hospitals planned for Gauteng

Gauteng is moving ahead with plans for four new hospitals, according to the provincial health department.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi, in his state of the province address on August 15, announced plans to increase the number of hospitals from 37 in the province. 

The new hospitals are being planned for Daveyton, Soshanguve, Orange Farm and Diepsloot.

The national health department had approved the business case for the Daveyton hospital, the health department said in a statement on Thursday.

“The Gauteng infrastructure financing agency has been appointed to oversee the bulk engineering designs, site development plans and architectural designs, with the aim to complete these by March 2025. The project has also received funding in the medium-term expenditure framework.

“Progress has been made on the Orange Farm hospital project. Suitable land has been identified and land suitability investigations are nearing completion,” the statement said.

Regarding plans for a hospital in Soshanguve, the department said that while suitable land had been identified suitability needed to be confirmed.

The provincial entity said it was working with its infrastructure development counterpart “to finalise land identification by the end of the current financial year”.

“Land suitability investigations for the Diepsloot hospital are also under way and are expected to be completed by the end of the financial year,” the department said.

Gauteng MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko provided an update on Tuesday during the debate on Lesufi’s address.

“These hospitals will bridge the healthcare gap in township areas and address regional disparities in healthcare provision which are a key step towards achieving our vision of a universal healthcare system. We are confident that these projects will significantly contribute to the successful implementation of NHI in Gauteng,” she said.

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