Little results from R185m spent on Joburg hospital

29 March 2017

R185 million has been spent in the past four years on maintenance and repairs at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, but there is little to show for this huge expenditure as the hospital continues to be in poor repair.

Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development Jacob Mamabolo revealed yesterday in an oral reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature yesterday that the following amounts had been spent on maintenance and repair at the hospital:

2013/14 – R18 million

2014/15 – R40 million

2015/16 – R60 million

2016/17 – R67 million

It is difficult to see that this money has been properly spent as the hospital has broken ceilings, leaks in many places and broken air-conditioning.

The total amount of R185 million could have built about five clinics or a small hospital.

I suspect that much of the money was wasted on contractors who were not able to complete the job.

The contractor who was responsible for the collapsed roof at the hospital was clearly incompetent and should never have been chosen to fix water leaks.

There needs to be proper controls and expertise to ensure that all future money is spent effectively to ensure that this hospital is in good condition.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 29 March 2017