EC health department to spend billions on improving infrastructure

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05-05-2025
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Algoa FM
Source

The Eastern Cape Department of Health says it will invest billions to improve hospital infrastructure.

Department spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo, said this would see the department of health replacing mud structured hospitals that were donated by missionaries mainly in the rural parts of the province.

He said the Health MEC, Ntandokazi Capa will officially introduce a construction company that has been appointed to demolish mud structures at Greenville Hospital and build a modern state of the art hospital in the rural town of Mbizana.

Kupelo said MEC Capa would be announcing the multi-million-rand project on Tuesday when she visits the rural hospital.

He said these mega projects follow two other projects currently underway in Zithulele and Bambisana hospitals in the OR Tambo districts.

“The department being assisted by the national department of health is spending over R1 billion in the construction of Zithulele hospital in Mqanduli and another R800 million is being spent on building a new Banbisana hospital in Port St John's near Lusikisiki,” Kupelo said.

Another area of focus identified by Capa is the training of nurses and specialists.

The MEC was looking at expanding the Lilitha Nursing College to Joe Gqabi and Alfred Nzo districts.

Kupelo said the Eastern Cape health department has also recently procured state-of-the-art medical equipment for Nelson Mandela academic, Livingstone, and Frere hospitals to the value of R200 million.

“It is looking at bringing services closer to the people. An illustration to this is the construction of R416 million oncology units at the Nelson Mandela academic hospital in Mthatha.

“The completion of this oncology will see patients no longer having to travel long distances from Lusikisiki to East London in order for them to access cancer treatment,” Kupelo added.