Africa-Press – South-Africa. A specialist tuberculosis wing at Durban’s King Dinizulu Hospital which stalled in 2011 because of financial setbacks is back on track and expected to treat patients in May 2026.
The R154m outpatient wing will be the first facility dedicated to treat patients with multi-drug resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR) in KZN.
Inspecting the project on Thursday, public works and infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer revealed that the project had stalled since 2011 but was revived in June last year as part of the department’s push to unblock stalled projects and improve infrastructure delivery.
“The previous contractor in the TB wing went insolvent in 2011 and due to severe monetary constraints that brings, the project could be revived only last year,” he said. “It’s very unfortunate there had to be over a 10-year delay but I think it also shows how our department and the department of health are committed to unblocking these blocked projects and get them moving forward.”
Dr Tumelo Mabesa said the hospital, which is the only facility to treat drug resistant TB, has taken space reserved for inpatients to treat TB outpatients, which limited its capacity.
“Even the pharmacy was using a space of the ward, so by taking that space means we are reducing the capacity of the wards. Once those services are moved to this new wing then those spaces will be freed and we will have an additional space.
“So in addition to the outpatients services for both MDR and XDR TB functionality, we will also be increasing the capacity of the hospital by 64 beds,” he said.
The project, however, has not been without challenges, mainly the disruption by locals demanding more community involvement at the beginning of the project in July last year.
Meyer said they were limited by the specialised nature of the facility.
“It’s a difficult project in that there’s a lot of legislation and regulations and all those things that needs to be met which also means we can’t have as many EPWP workers on site as we would like because it’s such a technical job. It’s very important that where we can give jobs to communities we do so, but in very technical jobs like this we also have to keep that in consideration,” he said.
Contractor Mbuso Makhathini of Makhathini Projects said they tried to work with locals where they could.
“In the cases that we could, we have been engaging them as subcontractors, getting them involved, uplifting them in terms of their CIDB grading and assisting them on how to grow their businesses,” he said.
Meyer said those disruptions were quickly addressed when the department, the contractor and ward councillor met the community.
There have been 23 job opportunities for locals so far in the project and the department said the number is going to increase.
Meyer added that the long-standing challenge of the payment of contractors also hindered progress but they were working with the National Treasury and the health department of health to address it.
Along with the TB wing, Meyer also inspected the newly completed R18m helipad at the hospital.
King Dinizulu now joins Stanger, Albert Luthuli and Addington hospitals with helipads.
However, unlike the other hospitals, this helipad is the first one to be licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
“This helipad makes it accessible for people across the province to be brought here for emergency services so work had to be done. I also learnt today there’s a lot of technicality and licensing involved, so this is actually a vital and intricate project.”
The hospital previously had a helipad but it couldn’t function because it didn’t meet the necessary legal requirements.
Meyer said he was satisfied with progress and hailed the collaboration of the team from his department and the responsible contractors.
“It shows what I’ve been saying: this is a new public works. We’re now a department that has one goal only; to deliver good, quality projects to our client departments and the people of the province.
“We’re not the ones that give medicine to the TB patients nor the ones teaching children in schools but without us in public works and infrastructure, no-one can do that. We play a very integral role and we must be proud of it.”
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