Eastern Cape DPWI gives Nessie Knight hospital R5m facelift

The days of Nessie Knight Hospital in Qumbu being dilapidated will soon be a thing of the past as the Eastern Cape department of public works & infrastructure has given it the R5m facelift it desperately needs.

For years, patients have complained about the atrocious state of the hospital in Sulenkama village. While the quality and efficiency of the health care services provided at the hospital is good, the infrastructure was not resulting in the R5.2m cash injection so it could be accommodate Covid-19 patients. Once the R5.2m project is completed, the hospital will have more than 30 hospital beds that will be used for Covid-19 patients, should the need arise.

The project is expected to be completed by the end of September. The neglected Umhlobo building has been demolished and is being rebuilt by a construction company. Once completed, the new building will have 18 beds for Covid-19 patients, four of which will be for high care patients.

The Umhlobo building will have: A new treatment utility; a storeroom; a linen room; a kit room;staff ablution facilities; showers; a sluice room; a duty room; male and female wards; ramp and aprons; rain water goods; and electrical, mechanical and plumbing will also be done.

The male, female and TB wards are also being spruced up and will provide the hospital with 26 additional beds. The scope of the refurbishment in the three wards includes, among other aspects, plastering, plumbing, electrical work, removing and replacing floor finishes and windows, and changing doors and locks.

The provincial government has been hard at work preparing hospitals and clinics in anticipation of the expected surge in the number of new coronavirus infections during August and September. DPWI provincial spokesperson Vuyokazi Mbanjwa said the newly revamped wards would benefit Sulenkama long after Covid-19 had been defeated. She said the department was committed to finishing the project on time.

“The work on site is progressing well though there are a few challenges. “However, the contractor and the department have agreed to have a plan and way forward to make sure that the project is finished on schedule. “Currently, the department of public works & infrastructure is focusing on the refurbishments of hospitals to avail beds that will be needed for Covid-19 patients.

“It is crucial that the hospitals are made ready for this task at hand so that these rehabilitated wards are used even beyond Covid-19,” she said.