Health MEC dismisses ‘thumb sucked’ price tag for Tambo Memorial Hosp repairs

Infrastructure development MEC Lebogang Maile told media last year, during a site visit soon after the deadly explosion, that it would cost over R18 million to address infrastructure damage at the facility.

Services were partially affected after the casualty and emergency units, the theatre, x-Ray, and antenatal wards suffered damages to their roofs, windows, and doors.

Nursing union Denosa was the first to make the call for thorough assessment while urging government officials and businesses not to use the tragedy as an opportunity to inflate prices and fleece state coffers.

ALSO READ: Nehawu lambasts govt over workers’ rights at Tambo Memorial hospital staff service

On the sidelines of a memorial service for 12 workers attached to the hospital who died after sustaining injuries from the blast, Nkomo-Ralehoko said she agrees with Denosa.

“I don’t agree that that damage will be sitting at R18 million. So, I felt that Denosa is correct. We must start with the bill of quantities so that we know the level of work that we must do, before we can even allocate the budget. So, as a financial person, I know that you don’t thumb suck the amount.”

She said she believes the repair work should not exceed R10 million.

“I’m saying let’s not even move beyond R10 million when you’re renovating any hospital in the province. Because we’ve done it in Mamelodi we renovated it with R9.5 million because any contractor that came there and they were overcharging us, the CEO stood up and said ‘this is not the amount that you should be charging us’”.

The MEC said she did not want a repeat of the Anglo-Ashanti hospital which was renovated at a cost of over R500 million, more than ten times the original budget amount of R50 million, after it was earmarked to become a COVID-19 critical care facility at the height of the pandemic.

The hospital was never fully utilised by the government until the lease was terminated last year.