The North West Department of health has decided to decommission the Thusong Hospital in Itsoseng, outside Mahikeng. The hospital has not been operational for months now, following an oversight visit done by the department early this year.
The department says the hospital which was used by Itsoseng and nearby residents for decades, was found to be built on dolomitic soil which was causing major structural defects and cracks.
The department’s spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane says a decommissioning task team has been formed following a meeting on Tuesday.
“The department can confirm that the risk a decommissioning task team that has been appointed to look into making sure that the decommissioning happens this is because of the historical challenges of infrastructure in that facility which is due to the issue of dolomite conditions of the soil has been to the extent that it is difficult to maintain the facility. The walls keep cracking even when there is an attempt at maintaining it. There was heat that was coming out of the facility,” says Lekgethwane.
Lekgethwane says the permanent closure of the hospital will not inconvenience local residents and other users.
“The community is continuing to receive services at Itsoseng Community Health Centre, which was long expanded in terms of the availability of beds and other hospital services because the department foresaw that there will be challenges too. So however the bigger plan is to turn it into the district hospital. Itsoseng health centre will be turned into a district hospital -there was an agreement that a new clinic will be built for the people of Itsoseng and the nearby villages,” explain Lekgethwane.
@Action4SA Ngaka Modiri Molema REC did an oversight visit at the Thusong Hospital and found this shocking scenery. The Hospital has been left to rot even though residents in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality are in dire need for medical services.#LetsFixNorthWest pic.twitter.com/HIp26nLJBI
— Action SA North West (@ActionSA_NW) September 30, 2022
