June 6, 2003

THE Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital in Soweto is to receive R700 million for "revitalisation" and upgrades, Gauteng Health MEC Gwen Ramokgopa has announced.

"The revitalisation project will ensure that the community has better access to services," Ramokgopa said during her presentation of the health department's budget for the 2003/2004 financial year in the Gauteng Legislature on Thursday 5 June.

Developments at Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital have already started, with a new renal dialysis unit, speech therapy and audiology centre, paediatric admission ward and bulk stores.

The multi-phase project, which will take six years to complete, also includes the improving of health care services in the south of Johannesburg, the building of two district hospitals, three community centres and two clinics.

Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital in Soweto

The MEC also announced in her budget that 68 more beds had been provided to the Edenvale Hospital as part of the Alexandra Presidential Urban Renewal Programme and the funding of the Alexandra Community Health Centre had been increased by 11 percent to R19 million.

MEC Ramokgopa also said the department would contribute financially to the extension of hours of services at Lillian Ngoyi, Zola, Mofolo, Lenasia South, Bekkersdal, Mohlakeng and Kagiso A community health centres by paying workers for overtime.

The large regional hospitals are also to benefit from the budget. MEC Ramokgopa said the hospitals located in the poorer areas such as Sebokeng would get a R2.3 billion boost, while R2.6 billion had been set aside for hospitals in the urban areas of the province, for example Johannesburg Hospital.

An additional R20 million would be spent on surgical procedures.

The Johannesburg hospital will be the first in the province to use the MRI scanner. The scanner is used to take pictures of inner parts of the body including the brain.

Meanwhile, the health department is to spend R7 million to relocate the Polyclinic from Johannesburg Hospital to the Hillbrow Community Health Centre to ease the workload at the hospital and to improve the efficiency of tertiary health care, the MEC said.

The cost would cover the relocation, staff salaries, equipment and medication.