VW to use PE plant as Covid-19 medical facility

To assist local and provincial government in providing much-needed care to Covid-19 patients in Nelson Mandela Bay, Volkswagen Group SA (VWSA) has made its Port Elizabeth plant available as a temporary medical facility.

To this end, a multimillion-rand deal between VWSA, the Eastern Cape department of health, the German government, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber was struck.

The plant in the Neave Industrial area is not in use. 

It will be converted and used as an overflow medical facility.

Once fully operational, the facility could accommodate up to 4,000 beds for patients diagnosed with Covid-19. This would also include high-acuity patients who require oxygenation. 

The planned conversion of the 66,000m² building is a collaborative effort.

The German federal ministry for economic co-operation and development (BMZ) will provide funding of €5.2m  (R107m) to support the conversion of the plant as well as the procurement of protective gear (PPE) for staff at regional tertiary hospitals, regional primary care clinics and 49 Covid-19 test centres.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusamenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH will provide the performance framework to account for the public and private engagement and will foster the co-operation with the private sector to establish a sustainable strategic alliance in Nelson Mandela Bay.

VWSA will contribute R28m  to the project and will provide project management for the conversion of the facility and management of the procurement of the critical protection equipment.    

While the department of health and the metro will be responsible for the management and daily operations of the facility, the Business Chamber will assist in facilitating the project while garnering further support from its membership base.

Following the signing of the agreement between the various parties, the facility is expected to be completed in phases and handed over to the government as the need for medical care in the metro develops.

The first phase of the project is under way and will take about six to eight weeks to be completed.

VWSA chair Thomas Schaefer said solidarity was crucial in the crisis and Covid-19 was an unprecedented global threat.

“Through collaboration we will be able to achieve the position of strength we will need to fight the virus.”