New Hospitals
Thirteen new private hospitals with 1304 beds have been given the go-ahead to be built in Gauteng.
This information is revealed in a written reply by Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.
Private hospitals require a permit from the Gauteng Health Department, which has in previous years refused some major hospital applications, with preference given to township areas.
The largest approved hospitals include the following:
• 200 bed Mediclinic Hospital in Boksburg;
• 170 bed Thomas Makhonya Hospital in Eikenhof in south Johannesburg;
• 170 bed Longlake Hospital in Longmeadow, Edenvale;
• 170 bed Clinix Protea Glen in Soweto;
• 130 bed Tumisang Private Hospital in Hartebeespoort;
• 100 bed Phelang Maletsatsi Private Hospital in Mamelodi;
• 100 bed Netcare Pinehaven Hospital in Krugersdorp; and
• 100 bed Head and Neck Specialized Hospital in Lynnwood, Pretoria.
A number of Day Clinics have also been approved including in Waterfall, Groenkloof, Benoni, Midrand, Roodepoort, Lynnwood, Fourways and Vereeniging.
The increase in private hospital beds is good news as greater competition should bring down prices.
Day Clinics will bring down the cost of operations as they do not have the expense of keeping patients overnight.
The new beds will bring the total number of private hospital beds to more than 16000, and any spare capacity could be used to assist public patients as recently mooted by Health MEC Mahlangu.
Media enquiries:
Jack Bloom MPL
DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health
082 333 4222