Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said his department will apply for funding from the National Treasury to support the construction of the new Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital in Gauteng.
Responding to parliamentary questions from EFF MP Moshome Patrick Motubane on Thursday, Motsoaledi said Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital was one of the priority projects identified by the department and announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his State of the Nation Address.
Motubane had asked whether any decisions had been taken regarding the future of the hospital’s infrastructure following Motsoaledi’s recent visit to the hospital together with Ramaphosa.
“Yes, a decision was taken regarding the future of the hospital. The immediate interventions were to assess the infrastructure needs for the hospital, and the medium intervention is to appoint a professional team to support the planning and construction of a new academic hospital for funding approval by the National Treasury,” he said.
He also said the department planned to construct a new academic hospital.
“The plan is to prepare and submit an application for funding by the third quarter of the 2026/27 financial year from the National Treasury’s budget for infrastructure.
“There is an allocation of R20m for the 2026/27 financial year to support the planning phase of the project. Currently, the project is in planning.”
The minister clarified that the intended use of the wing constructed during the Covid-19 pandemic is currently in full use by the hospital and is housing various clinical departments, including the Accident and Emergency Unit.
Motsoaledi acknowledged that the George Mukhari Academic Hospital was experiencing challenges associated with ageing infrastructure.
“As previously indicated, infrastructure maintenance work in the mental health unit is undertaken by the Gauteng Department of Health on an ongoing basis, taking into account structural limitations of the existing buildings.”
Motsoaledi stated that the hospital has never been constructed since the inception of Medunsa.
“What is in use is a district hospital built for a small settlement called Ga-Rankuwa. It is for this reason that the president, in his State of the Nation Address in February 2026, announced the replacement of three academic hospitals, starting with Dr George Mukhari.”
Motubane noted that there were reports of inhumane and unsafe conditions affecting mental health patients at George Mukhari Academic Hospital.
“What is the position in this regard; if so, what immediate interventions have been implemented to address the conditions under which mental health patients are currently being housed?” he asked.
Motsoaledi stated that, according to information received from the Gauteng Department of Health, there are currently no plans to relocate mental health patients from the Dr George Mukhari Hospital’s Mental Health Unit.
“Patients are accommodated in sections of the facility that have been assessed as habitable for continued care. The planned development of a new mental health unit is expected to provide a long-term solution to the current infrastructure challenges.”
Asked about measures implemented by his department to ensure that the country did not experience a recurrence of tragedies like the Life Esidimeni tragedy, Motsoaledi said several measures have been implemented to strengthen the quality, safety, and oversight of mental health services.
“These include the promulgation of the regulations for licensing community mental health facilities for people with mental illness and/or severe or profound intellectual disability in June 2025, which strengthen regulatory requirements and oversight mechanisms.
“The mental health infrastructure norms are used to guide planning, design, and construction of mental health facilities to ensure compliance with the safety, human rights, and therapeutic environment requirements in such facilities.”
Mayibongwe Maqhina
iol.co.za
