Infrastructure projects top of priorities list for Walter Sisulu University
WALTER Sisulu University (WSU) is embarking on several projects in a bid to provide adequate infrastructure.
The university and its foundation, which is a separate legal entity, called on interested contractors this week to submit their tender documents.
Among projects earmarked for this year are the construction of accommodation for students and a resource centre at the St Barnabas Hospital in Libode.
This follows a similar project completed at the Madzikane Ka Zulu Hospital near Mount Frere.
WSU Foundation director Dr Siyanda Makaula said they expected to finalise the St Barnabas project in about four months.
He said the St Barnabas Hospital would be used for the training of health science students, and would also house them, "particularly senior medical students and students enrolled in the clinical associates programme, one of our flagship programmes.
"This is in line with our extended clinical clerkship programme where students will spend six months training and providing primary health care services at the hospital. Both students and the surrounding community will benefit."
Makaula said the resource centre would also be accessible to health care workers at the hospital. "In the near future our resource centres will also be used to train and upskill these workers on basic computer skills and literacy," he said.
He said funds were raised by the foundation.
University spokeswoman Angela Church said the total spend on the full development of facilities to accommodate health sciences students would amount to about R26-million.
Another project advertised by the university is in Butterworth for the construction of the second phase of that campus's resource centre.
Church said the Butterworth project formed part of those to be funded by the infrastructure development funding of the R421-million Infrastructure and Efficiency grant.
WSU was awarded the grant through a bid in response to a call for proposals from the Department of Higher Education and Training. "The current turnaround projects that are already funded are being effectively managed and rolled out.
"The university will continue seeking funding from various sources to implement infrastructure and teaching technology projects identified during research conducted in 2013. The total amount identified to complete all the projects is over R3-billion," she said.
The final cost for the Butterworth project would be determined by the outcome of the tender process, which was published on Friday.
Other projects on the cards include the provision of:
- Improved access for people with disabilities by the end of this year;
- Laboratories to be completed next month; and
- Student accommodation renovations to be complete by the end of this year.
