R59 million upgrade at RK Khan Hospital: a step towards modern healthcare
Image: Supplied
DESPITE delays and a missed completion deadline, a R59 million renovation at RK Khan Hospital in Chatsworth is almost complete.
The 56-year-old hospital underwent waterproofing and internal renovations to Blocks D and E, and the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD).
In a statement, Nomagugu Simelane, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Health, said she was satisfied with the progress made, which was over 400 days past the completion deadline.
Simelane was joined by acting head of department Penny Msimango, and members from the health infrastructure unit at an oversight visit at the hospital on Wednesday.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
She said the state-of-the-art renovations were aimed at modernising the facility and integrating new medical technology and infrastructure.
'This includes the waterproofing of roof slabs, the complete redesign of Wards D and E according to Infrastructure Unit Support System (IUSS) guidelines.
The state-of-the-art renovations were aimed at modernising the facility and integrating new medical technology and infrastructure.
Image: Supplied
'The project also involves the removal of existing fittings, fixtures, and outdated electrical, mechanical, and extraction systems, as well as raising all internal partitions in the bed wards to a height of 2.1 metres.
'The redesigned CSSD will now fully comply with IUSS accommodation design standards. These renovations are set to bring the 56-year-old hospital in line with modern medical infrastructure standards,' Simelane added.
Cyril Pillay, former chairperson of the RK Khan Hospital board, said he commended the KZN Department of Health for the substantial progress made in upgrading the hospital.
'As a servant of the community and a firm believer in the dignity and value of every human life, I welcome the R59 million investment in modernising this vital healthcare facility.
'These renovations and updated infrastructure represent more than just construction. They are a testament to our government's commitment to providing our people with safe, clean, and efficient healthcare environments.
'The hospital has served our communities for over five decades. Many families in eThekwini and surrounding areas have turned to it in times of need. This new infrastructure will bring healing, dignity, improve staff morale, and create an environment that supports cutting-edge medical care,' he added.
He said while delays were acknowledged, the oversight visit by the MEC was welcomed.
'We appreciate the oversight visit and accountability shown by MEC Simelane and the infrastructure team. Let us continue to pray for wisdom, excellence, and compassion to guide those entrusted with our healthcare. As a community, we celebrate this milestone together, because a healthier province is a stronger province."
Dr Imran Keeka, spokesperson on health for the Democratic Alliance, said: 'We note that the upgrade project is finally reaching conclusion despite being some 400 days over its original scheduled conclusion date of November 2023. The upgrades are finally reaching an end and this is commendable. The project delays have caused immense inconvenience to patients, staff and management of the facility.
'The nearby Clairwood Hospital has also had to step in and foster patients, with patients transferred there for admission on a daily basis, using vital Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) resources.
'The knock-on effect is that instead of local ambulances being available for emergencies, they were busy ferrying patients from one hospital to another,' he added.
Keeka said the situation had also led to doctors having to do ward rounds to see patients at two different hospitals and where specialised services were only at RK Khan Hospital, patients were brought to and from the facility on multiple occasions.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
'We cannot turn sick people away from facilities' says KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane delivered the keynote address during the launch of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Branch in uMhlanga on Sunday. Image: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane confronted the polarising issue of illegal foreign nationals' access to healthcare facilities at the launch of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) provincial branch. Her statements brought to light significant concerns surrounding the pressure migrants place on an already stretched healthcare system in the province. Simelane said many knew about the ongoing issues concerning the access of illegal foreign nationals to healthcare facilities. She said the issues are sensitive and difficult and must be faced with firm and practical solutions. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading During the launch of the SAMA KwaZulu-Natal provincial branch, Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane addressed the contentious issue of illegal foreign nationals accessing healthcare. Image: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers She explained that they budget for 12 million people in KZN; however, they do not know how many illegal foreigners are in the system. 'You might find that people who actually access our services are more than 15 million, and therefore, our own communities suffer as a result of that. We are aware that this also puts a strain on the health workers within the department,' Simelane said. 'With that said, we cannot turn away people who are sick when they come to our facilities. It is something that we cannot do in terms of the Constitution.' Simelane said she knows the minister is engaging with different organisations that are concerned about that matter. 'We hope that in a few days' time, he'll be able to respond or make a pronouncement on what it is that they have agreed on. 'So we do have challenges that must be addressed by the national minister at that level. We also have challenges that we need to address with communities,' Simelane said. She said people have the right to protest in a constitutional country. 'What cannot be allowed is when people are stopped at the gates of facilities to say, show us your ID before you access the service. That cannot be allowed,' Simelane said. 'What cannot be allowed is when those who are protesting are allowed into our facilities, to traumatise the patients that are there already, to say, show us your ID as you are sitting in a queue. That can't continue, because as a departmental office, we have a responsibility to protect our patients.' Simelane said doctors have a responsibility to ensure that when someone sick comes to healthcare facilities, the person receives the treatment they deserve. SAMA KZN chairperson Dr Zanele Bikitsha responded to Simelane's statements by expressing her fear to someone about issuing a statement on Operation Dudula. 'I felt, let's stay away from it, because I felt we're still polarised ourselves, as doctors, we've made it a foreign, national, money issue,' Bikitsha said. 'But at the core, when you got that degree, you went and you made a Hippocratic oath. The Hippocratic oath did not say only if you are South African. It did not. It did not indicate your ethnicity, your nationality, your gender. It said we will serve all.'
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Health MEC vows to fight for more posts
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane has vowed to push for the recruitment of more healthcare workers in addition to the posts already advertised. She also called on the healthcare fraternity to embrace technology, including artificial intelligence, to help improve patient care in the province. Speaking during the launch of the South African Medical Association's (SAMA) KZN Provincial Structure and AI Interactive Workshop in Durban on Sunday, Simelane appealed to the medical fraternity to also ensure patients are placed at the heart of every policy, budget, and debate. She celebrated the establishment of SAMA's provincial structure as a good step forward, saying it would ensure the voices of doctors in KZN are heard louder and clearer than ever before. She further declared that even with billions of rands worth of budget cuts over the years, the department will continue to fight for more posts, more resources, and better working conditions, because healthcare is not a privilege, but a right. 'One of the issues that SAMA has consistently raised, and rightly so, is the shortage of posts. This remains one of the most pressing concerns in the health sector. But we have been engaging with President Cyril Ramaphosa and KZN Premier Thami Ntuli. 'The president is looking at different ways of assisting us, but we have discussed [it with] the executive council of KZN. As a result, we agreed to advertise 150 posts, of which 100 are for medical officers and 50 for medical specialists. This is in addition to the 20 doctors' posts that we advertised in June. As well as the 150 posts mentioned, we have also created 40 posts for specialised nurses and 80 additional posts for entry-level nurses. 'I know these measures are not enough. It is far from being enough, but it is better than the 20 we had previously advertised. It is better than the zero posts we had a few months ago. We believe this is a start. And with the work we are doing with the premier and president, we hope we will be able to advertise more posts in the next few months,' she said. AI in healthcare In embracing AI as a partner in healthcare, Simelane painted an inspiring picture of rural clinics where technology helps save lives that might otherwise be lost. 'I also to commend SAMA for looking to the future in embracing AI and exploring how its capabilities can be harnessed in healthcare. AI should not be seen as an enemy that will take away jobs. It should rather be viewed as a partner, a tool that can help doctors, nurses, and managers to be more efficient, accurate, and responsive,' she explained. Simelane said, when used wisely, AI can shorten diagnostic times, support early detection of diseases, improve hospital management systems, reduce human error, and free up healthcare workers to focus on the human side of care, which machines can never replicate. 'In a province as vast and diverse as KZN, AI can help bridge the gap between rural and urban healthcare, ensuring patients in remote communities benefit from the same speed and accuracy of service as those in urban centres. 'Imagine a rural clinic where a nurse can, with the help of AI, detect a life-threatening condition early and save a life that might otherwise have been lost. That is the promise of this technology, and we need to embrace it. The government has many protocols when it comes to what we can use in our spaces and in our hospitals,' she said. Simelane said, if SAMA has started exploring AI technology and has been able to demonstrate that it can be used to benefit patients, it will be easier for the government to get on board. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane addresses illegal foreign nationals' access to healthcare in KZN
During the launch of the SAMA KwaZulu-Natal provincial branch, Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane addressed the contentious issue of illegal foreign nationals accessing healthcare. Image: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers At the launch of the South African Medical Association (SAMA) KwaZulu-Natal provincial branch on Sunday, provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane, confronted the polarising issue of illegal foreign nationals' access to healthcare facilities. Her statements brought to light significant concerns surrounding the pressure these migrants place on an already stretched healthcare system in the province. Simelane said many knew about the ongoing issues concerning the access of illegal foreign nationals to healthcare facilities. She said the issues are sensitive and difficult and must be faced with firm and practical solutions. 'The truth of the matter is that no one amongst us would want to have illegal immigrants benefiting from our system. The truth of the matter is that the illegal immigrants that we have in the country are draining our resources,' Simelane said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ She explained that they budget for 12 million people in KZN; however, they do not know how many illegal foreigners are in the system. 'You might find that people who actually access our services are more than 15 million, and therefore, our own communities suffer as a result of that. We are aware that this also puts a strain on the health workers within the department,' Simelane said. 'With that said, we cannot turn away people who are sick when they come to our facilities. It is something that we cannot do in terms of the Constitution.' Simelane said she knows the minister is engaging with different organisations that are worried about that matter. 'We hope that in a few days' time, he'll be able to respond or make a pronouncement on what it is that they have agreed on. 'So we do have challenges that must be addressed by the national minister at that level. We also have challenges that we need to address with communities,' Simelane said. She said people protesting illegal immigrants are correct, it is their right because in a constitutional country, 'we all have the right to voice our views'. 'What cannot be allowed is when people are stopped at the gates of facilities to say, show us your ID before you access the service. That cannot be allowed,' Simelane said. 'What cannot be allowed is when those who are protesting are allowed into our facilities, to traumatise the patients that are there already, to say, show us your ID as you are sitting in a queue. That can't continue, because as a departmental office, we have a responsibility to protect our patients.' Simelane said she and the doctors have a responsibility to ensure that when someone sick comes to healthcare facilities, they have to ensure the person receives the treatment they deserve. SAMA KZN chairperson Dr Zanele Bikitsha responded to Simelane's statements by expressing her fear to someone about issuing a statement on Operation Dudula, or asking that person to do so. 'I felt, let's stay away from it, because I felt we're still polarised ourselves, as doctors, we've made it a foreign, national, money issue,' Bikitsha said. 'But at the core, when you got that degree, you went and you made a Hippocratic oath. The Hippocratic oath did not say only if you are South African. It did not. It did not indicate your ethnicity, your nationality, your gender. It said we will serve all.' Bikitsha said she thought Simelane was pointing out that systems and balances are needed so that money spent on patients can be correctly reflected, so you are able to get things and avoid shortages. 'Mind you, it's not only foreigners. We have people who have medical aid that are also accessing our own services, and they don't declare that they've got medical aid, which we should be charging, so that we can get the money to buy the supplies,' Bikitsha added.
