Daveyton Hospital Delayed to 2019

Planned Daveyton HospitalJack Bloom DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

The planned 300 bed Daveyton Hospital on the East Rand which was first approved in 2006 will only be completed in 2019.

This disappointing news was revealed yesterday by Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza at a sitting of the Gauteng Legislature.

Budget for Planning and Design

According to Mayathula-Khoza, there is budget for planning and design in 2015/16. Construction will start in 2016/17 and should be completed in three years.

I doubt that the Daveyton Hospital will be built by 2019 as the Infrastructure Development Department has a terrible track record in large building projects.

For instance, the new Natalspruit and Jabulani hospitals were both five years overdue and cost more than double the original budget.

There is a great need for a new hospital to serve the growing population in the Daveyton, Etwatwa and Benoni area, but chronic incompetence means that this will not happen soon.

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

 [Image source]

Slow Aircon Company Keeps Getting Gauteng Hospital Contracts

The Gauteng Infrastructure Development Department has awarded four contracts worth R22.5 million to an air-conditioning company despite their failure to complete any project on time.Jack Blom DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

Cool Breeze Air Conditioning and Refrigeration CC

This information concerning Cool Breeze Air Conditioning and Refrigeration CC has come to light in a written reply by Gauteng Infrastructure Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

In the worst case, their incompetence led to all surgery being halted at the Pretoria West Hospital for two-and-half years because they took so long to do a 5 month job installing air-conditioning in the operating theatres.

Gauteng Hospitals Affected

Contracts awarded to this company are as follows:

  • Air-conditioning for Leratong Hospital theatres in 2010/11 for R7.995 million;
  • Upgrade of air-conditioners at neo-natal ICU at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in 2011/12 for R3 million;
  • Installation of chiller plant at Pretoria West Hospital in 2012/13 for R5.64 million; and
  • Additional oxygen and vacuum points at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital in 2013/14 for R5.8 million.

Unreliable Companies Getting Contracts

According to Mayathula-Khoza, penalties have been imposed and the company has been put on terms to complete the Pretoria West installation on a revised date.

My concern is that this unreliable company keeps getting contracts even though it has never finished any hospital contract on time, leading to major disruption for staff and patients.

I suspect that there may be a political connection that assists the company in getting contracts despite repeated non-performance.

This company should be barred from any further hospital contracts.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

[Image source]

Two Year Delay in Re-opening Theatres at Pretoria West Hospital

Jack Bloom DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health
Jack Bloom DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

The re-opening of operating theatres at the Pretoria West Hospital has been delayed by more than two years because of a slow air-conditioning contractor.

This is revealed in a written reply by Infrastructure Development MEC Nandi Mayathula-Khoza to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

The refurbishment started on 12 October 2012 and was supposed to be completed on 1 February 2013.

Late Installation

But according to Mayathula-Khoza, Cool Breeze Air-conditioning and Refrigeration started the installation late and a strained relationship between them and a sub-contractor also contributed to the delay.

The handover of the project will be later this month, but the theatres won’t be operational for several more months as testing and deep cleaning needs to be done.

Warning letters were sent to the contractor on 28 October 2014 and 24 November 2014. They are currently placed on terms and incurring penalties of R2846 per day.

R4.5 million has so far been spent on this project, and it is expected that another R1.132 million will be spent to complete it.

It is outrageous that a 5 month project has taken more than two and a half years, during which time no surgery could be performed at the hospital and patients had to be transferred elsewhere for operations.

Infrastructure Development Department needs a shake-up

It is yet another example of the department’s abysmal incompetence that includes a poor choice of contractor and a lack of project management to avoid delays.

For instance, why was the first warning letter only sent in October 2014 when the project was supposed to be finished 20 months earlier?

Meanwhile, patients have suffered because surgery could not be done at the hospital.

The Infrastructure Development Department needs a management shake-up to ensure that hospital projects are completed expeditiously.

 

Media enquiries:

Jack Bloom MPL

DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Health

082 333 4222

[Image source]