Health and Wellness
With regard to the GF Jooste Hospital that was demolished in 2014:
- What were the official reasons for the decommissioning of the GF Jooste Hospital in 2014;
- whether the affected communities were consulted before the hospital’s closure and demolition; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- (a) what is the current status of the Klipfontein Regional Hospital Project and (b) what are the specific reasons for the ten-year delay since the demolition of the GF Jooste Hospital;
- what is the detailed timeline of all the stages of the project from inception to the present, including (a) planning, (b) tendering and (c) approvals;
- (a) how much funding has been allocated by the (i) National Treasury and (ii) West-ern Cape Government for the Klipfontein Regional Hospital since 2014 and (b)(i) how much of this funding has actually been spent to date and (ii) what has this money been spent on;
- what measures have been taken to address the increased burden on nearby hospitals?
I am informed by the Department of Health and Wellness that:
(1) The facility was significantly overburdened, had a limited service scope, and its infrastructure was not suitable for redevelopment.
The decommissioning coincided with the development of new healthcare facilities, including Mitchells Plain Hospital and Khayelitsha Hospital, which expanded access to services and provided more comprehensive and higher-level care to the broader population.
(2) Yes.
(3)(a) Infrastructure Delivery Management System (IDMS) Stage 2 (Concept Design).
(b) The timeframe reflects the scale and complexity of the project, including funding availability, planning and design processes, land readiness requirements, and the need for coordination with municipal services and infrastructure. For example, a new site had to be identified to accommodate a new regional hospital. Once a suitable site was identified, two existing schools had to be relocated which including the building of new school facilities.
(4) The project has progressed through key stages including the development of the project brief, funding approval through the Budget Facility for Infrastructure process, and ongoing concept design processes.
Further stages include detailed design, procurement, and construction, with construction anticipated to commence in a future phase subject to funding and approvals, and phased completion planned thereafter.
(5) Funding for the project was approved through National Treasury via the Health Facility Revitalisation Grant following the Budget Facility for Infrastructure process.
Detailed breakdowns of allocations and expenditure over the full period would require consolidation across financial years and project stages and are not readily available in a single aggregated format within the timeframe provided.
(6) A range of measures were implemented to mitigate the impact of the decommissioning of GF Jooste Hospital, including:
- Redistribution of services to other facilities including Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha Hospitals
- Expansion of capacity at existing hospitals, including additional beds
- Strengthening of emergency and specialist services at alternative sites
These interventions ensured continued access to care and, in several instances, improved access to higher levels of care for the affected communities.
