AFTER
How big is your hospital and what community does it
service?
Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital (DGMAH) is
located in the sprawling suburb of Ga-Rankuwa, in the
north-west of Tshwane. DGMAH has a total a number
of 1554 active beds out of the 1652 approved beds.
The hospital catchment area covers the north-western
Tshwane Region and also accepts referrals from the
surrounding Limpopo and North-West provinces.
What are the greatest needs at your hospital?
DGMAH has a variety of needs. However, our biggest
challenge is deteriorating infrastructure since the
hospital was built way back in 1972 to cater for the
needs of a much smaller population. At present, we face
enormous challenges of, primarily, dilapidating buildings,
insufficient sewerage pipelines due to an ever-increasing
population, insufficient cooling systems, and some
others.
How was this particular project identified and chosen?
The project was initiated or proposed by Bonitas as part
of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme. They
subsequently had engagements with the Department
of Health, whereby they selected four provinces for a
roll-out and five hospitals/clinics were identified as
the focal points. DGMAH happened to be one of the
healthcare establishments that was identified in the
Gauteng Province.
When is the project due to begin and be completed?
The project started in November 2019 and took two
weeks to complete.
What does the project consist of (can you give us
specifics on what is being done)?
The project focussed on the renovation of infrastructure
defects in two maternity wards, bathrooms and ablution
facilities. It included painting of the walls, tiling
renovations and basin and tap replacements to name a
few.
How did you collaborate with Bonitas on the project?
The project was initiated by Bonitas and was presented
to hospital management. Subsequently, a joint team was
established to identify focal areas of project intervention.
What impact do you think this project will have on
your facilities, staff and patients – what do you hope it
achieves?
The project will assist the hospital to save money on the
refurbishment of the maternity wards, bathrooms and
ablution facilities as the renovation of these two wards
forms part of the hospital’s current projects.
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