By Ndivhuwo Mukwevho
The construction of the R1.1-billion Siloam Hospital outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo, which began in June 2022, has been criticised by members of the Vhembe Concerned Group. These residents worry over the use of what they believe to be inferior materials.
The group has also raised issues around transparency, the hiring process and maladministration, including the alleged mismanagement of funds.
In 2014, the old Siloam Hospital was identified as needing to be completely rebuilt.
Samuel Lusunzi, deputy chairperson of the group, shared multiple concerns with Scrolla.Africa about the reconstruction of the hospital.
“Firstly, there is a lack of transparency between the contractors, the government, and the local communities, especially regarding the hiring of residents. They have hired mostly illegal foreigners who do not have the relevant qualifications,” said Lusunzi.
The group discovered that substandard materials are being used.
“In most of the walls, steel reinforcements are not being used, which could be very dangerous as the building could easily collapse, endangering patients and healthcare workers,” Lusunzi said.
The group is calling for building inspectors to visit the site, fearing the building might not pass safety regulations.
Lusunzi referenced a situation in Thohoyandou where a R275-million taxi rank, now a brothel and criminal hideout, was constructed with poor-quality materials.
The construction of the hospital is a joint project between WBHO, Trenco and Yikusasa. Scrolla.Africa’s attempts to get comments from the joint venture were unsuccessful.
“Nothing is ever reported back to the community,” Lusunzi said. “We also do not know the criteria the contractors use to hire builders. We were promised that 30% of the workforce would be from local communities, but that has not happened.”
Pinky Kekana, deputy minister in the presidency responsible for planning and evaluation, visited the construction site on Friday to address issues raised by residents.
She proposed unannounced visits by national department inspectors to tackle the problems and emphasised the importance of the local community benefiting from the project.
Kekana said the current project cost is R1.1-billion and that it is 34% complete, with an anticipated completion date of June 2026.
Siloam hospital is situated in the Nzhelele region in the Vhembe district and is the only government hospital in the area, providing medical services to more than 20 rural villages with thousands of residents.
The old hospital building only admits 306 patients (beds), which the Vhembe Concerned Group says is not nearly enough for the Nzhelele community.
The only other hospital is Louis Trichard Memorial Hospital more than 60km away, which is very far for most residents to travel, and this hospital only has 52 beds. So patients are often transferred to Elim hospital, which is battling continuous water woes.
In short, the new hospital is essential for the villagers of Nzhelele.
Pictured above: Construction underway on the R1.1-billion Siloam Hospital.
Image source: Supplied
