Eastern Cape hospitals to receive R50m for infrastructure upgrades

The Eastern Cape government has announced it will be facilitating more than R50m for the infrastructure upgrade of six major hospitals across the province.

A statement from the office of the premier, Oscar Mabuyane, said the funds would be used to ready the hospitals to admit people infected with Covid-19.

The R50m investment project, when finalised, will see upgrades to Grey Hospital in the Buffalo City Metro, Mthatha General Hospital, St Elizabeth Hospital, Isilimela in the OR Tambo district, Dora Nginza Hospital in Nelson Mandela Bay and Nompumelelo Hospital in Peddie.

The work done by the provincial public works and infrastructure department has been welcomed by the Eastern Cape Provincial Coronavirus Command Council which emphasised the importance of all infrastructure projects meeting targets set for their completion.

Of the R50m more than R4m has been allocated to the Alfred Nzo municipality, R3m to Amathole, R3m to Buffalo City Metro, R395,489 to Chris Hani, more than R9m for Joe Gqabi, more than R5m for Nelson Mandela Bay, R15m for OR Tambo and R7m for the Sarah Baartman district municipality.

Mabuyane said the investment into the upgrades of the six hospitals would ensure long-lasting benefits for communities whose hospitals had decaying infrastructure.