Nelson Mandela children’s hospital making progress but still under capacity

17 February 2020

Three years after the official opening of the 200-bed Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in December 2016 a total of 1625 patients have been treated in the six months from April to September last year, but the oncology unit is still not open.

This is revealed by Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku in a written reply to my questions in the Gauteng Legislature.

According to Masuku, the hospital has been funded by R300 million for the 2019/20 financial year, and the average bed occupancy rates are as follows:

Paediatric ICU - 67%

Neonatal ICU - 71%

Neonatal High Care Unit - 34%

Cardiac/Surgical Ward - 72%

Renal/Surgical Ward - 21% (opened in September 2019)

The last two general wards with 58 beds were due to open in January this year, but the 42-bed oncology unit will only open in April this year.

There are 62 vacant posts out of a total staff establishment of 401 employees, with difficulties experienced in recruiting paediatric trained nurses and subspecialists because of a country-wide shortage in these fields.

The hospital is referral-only and has seen 1469 patients referred from Gauteng state hospitals in the six-month period, mostly from the Chris Hani Baragwanath and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg hospitals.

I am concerned that this hospital is still underutilized despite the vast need and overcrowding in neonatal facilities in state hospitals. The hospital CEO MandisaMaholwana has said that it needs annual funding of R500 million, so it will never be at full capacity unless this is forthcoming.

If public funding or donations do not fill the gap the hospital should explore revenue opportunities from private patients in order to subsidize public patients.

Issued by Jack Bloom, DA Gauteng Shadow Health MEC, 17 February 2020