14 May 2018

 Jwaneng Mine general manager, Mr Albert Milton says the last phase of the P66-million hospital expansion is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

He said the expansion project, which started mid last year, was progressing well and within schedule, with the first and second phases already complete.

Speaking at the Jwaneng Mine Hospital fifth re-accreditation ceremony on May11, Mr Milton said the expansion was aimed at improving health care services that the hospital offers, not only to the mine employees, but all residents in the district.

“This expansion will go a long way in improving the quality and efficiencies of our services as well as repositioning the Jwaneng Mine Hospital as a health care facility that is comparable to any facility of its size anywhere in the world,” he said.

He said Jwaneng Mine continued to inject money into the hospital annually so that it could continue to provide better health care to patients from more than 20 villages in the district as well as motorists along the Trans-Kalahari highway.

He commended the Ministry of Health and Wellness for its support to the hospital to provide health care services through partnership programmes such as those for HIV treatment and care.

“Jwaneng Mine Hospital also in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Wellness rolls out national health programmes such as MASA programme for HIV treatment and care, among others,” he said.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Mr Cornelius Dekop said he was impressed with the expansion project, which will enhance the hospital’s service delivery standards.

“I am reliably informed that previously, the hospital carried a capacity of 55 beds with an estimated clientele of 30 000 as it is not only a mine hospital, but also serves as a district hospital.

With the new developments, I have no doubt that this hospital can only go higher in terms of services,” he said.

However, Mr Dekop noted that the expansion would come with challenges that called for the hospital to be capacitated and the staff to double their efforts to cater for the expected demand.

 He said the expansion also called for more expertise and regular maintenance of the infrastructure. ENDS