17 Dec 2024

Government is yet to determine whether upgrading of  Athlone Hospital is viable in order for the Development Manager to progress to construction phase of the hospital.

This was said by the Minister of Health, Dr Stephen Modise when answering a question from Lobatse MP, Mr Kamal Jacobs in Parliament on Monday.

He said the project was allocated to the Development Manager (Proserve Consulting) to undertake the project design, supervision and construction and has handed concept designs to Catalyst Project Team and the Ministry of Health. 

Following that, the Development Manager will submit a Maximum Guarantee Price that will determine whether upgrading of Athlone Hospital is viable, he said.

The designs for upgrading Athlone Hospital were completed in 2009 and currently filed at Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. 

Dr Modise went further to explain that the project could not progress to construction phase due to financial constraints. 

However, he said it was included in the Transitional National Development Plan as a major refurbishment project to address the maintenance issues and shortage of clinical space such as theatre, pharmacy and accident and emergency units. 

“This was in an effort to compensate for not being able to provide a new hospital,” he said. 

Parliament also learnt that no construction was done at the hospital and that the P12 million awarded for the hospital was for a different maintenance project done on Athlone which was completed in March 2012. 

Mr Jacobs had wanted to know why upgrading of Athlone Hospital to a modern hospital was not carried out in the financial 2015/16. He said the then Minister of Health in 2014 had indicated that the upgrade was not possible in the previous year of financial year preceding 2015/16 due to financial constraints. 

Mr Jacobs also wanted to know what happened to the designs that were carried out and paid for as well as to whether the contract to build the hospital was terminated, while government had spent P12 million for the cancellation. 

He also wanted the minister to explain when re-tendering for the project would commence and whether the ministry had plans to fulfil that which was promised to Lobatse residents, to construct a new hospital as was the case with Scottish Livingstone in Molepolole and Sekgoma Memorial in Serowe. Ends