Johannesburg – The Gauteng Department of Health on Wednesday confirmed plans to build a 300-bed hospital in Kempton Park.
However, the budget and plans of the construction of the Kempton Park District Hospital have yet to be approved or finalised.
The Kempton Park hospital was closed more than 20 years ago.
In 2018, a Business Report report said it would cost more than R127 million to demolish the hospital.
It also reported a R244m project to upgrade the hospital was left incomplete in 2015.
In 2013, the Gauteng government committed to build a new 300 bed hospital at the same site.
Construction was supposed to take place between March 2013 and July 2014, but the project was never completed.
Building the hospital will alleviate pressure from the neighbouring Tembisa and Edenvale hospitals in Ekurhuleni.
On Wednesday, new Gauteng Health MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko said they were building a 300-bed Kempton Park District Hospital.
Gauteng Health spokesperson Tsepho Shawa said the hospital closed its doors over 20 years ago due to re-prioritisation and streamlining of services.
“Communities near the old facility have continued to receive services at primary health facilities such as Kempton Park Civic Centre Clinic, Spartan Clinic, Birchleigh North Clinic and Birchleigh Clinic with patients who needed further management being transferred to Tembisa Hospital.
“Given the growing population in the Kempton Park area there is now a need for a higher level of care facility,” he said.
Shawa said Nkomo-Ralehoko had engaged the Gauteng Infrastructure Funding Agency (GIFA) to assist with the funding proposals for the demolition of the old facility and the building of a new hospital.
“There are no time frames and budget as yet as the proposal is still under consideration,” he said.
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