Rural communities on the outskirts of Mahikeng, North West, will soon have access to private healthcare services on their doorstep. Plans are afoot to build a second private hospital in a village.
About R1.4 billion has been set aside for the construction of the Taolelo Tawana Memorial Hospital. The brains behind the project say the plan is to bring private healthcare services closer to rural communities.
Named after the late former traditional leader, Kgosi Taolelo Tawana, the Taolelo Tawana Memorial Hospital will be built next to the N18 road linking Vryburg and Mahikeng.
About 600 to 800 jobs will be created during the construction phase. While about 300 to 400 jobs will be created after the completion of the hospital.
The facility will have 83 beds, two theatres, a mortuary and a chemist. It will also include a public clinic, where local communities can access the facility for free.
Mofokeng Family Trust’s Morgan Mofokeng says the hospital will be beneficial to the residents of Mahikeng.
“In Mahikeng there is only one private hospital and when you look at most of the patients from Mahikeng they go to Klerksdorp or Rustenburg. When you look at kilos from Mafikeng to Madibe Makgabane is about 25 kilos compared to more than a hundred kilos which one must travel to go to Klerskdorp or Rustenburg. So, I think this facility will be nearer to the community of Mahikeng.”
A local traditional leader, Madibe Makgabane says the hospital will come in handy, and help reduce unemployment.
“This thing is going to help us a lot and we are so very happy, and we feel that we are going to benefit a lot because the hospital will be just next door. Our people are going to be helped easily and they are going to get jobs, and this will create job opportunities in the area of our jurisdiction.”
Residents of Madibe-Makgabane village have welcomed the construction of the hospital.
“Most of the time the nearest clinic in Madibe Makgabane is closed and the mode of transport is donkey carts. So, I think if the hospital is in Madibe Makgabane, it will assist many communities of Madibe.”
“When I look as far as Disaneng, Phitshane there is no hospital. When I look along Vryburg road until Madibogo there is no hospital. This hospital will be in Madibe Makgabane and will assist residents.”
There is also a commitment that local SMMEs will benefit from the project.
Implementing agent, Kenosi Mojanaga says jobs will be created for both skilled and unskilled workers.
“We have now created a database of local companies that will participate in this project, it will be artisans and unskilled labour and this is during the construction era and also post-construction you know cleansing services and so on. They will be sourced through Tharabologo just to make sure that we have a balanced situation whereby we won’t have people stopping the projects and all have been done.”
20 hectares of land have been set aside to build this private hospital. Construction is expected to start soon.
