Parliamentary committee concerned about ongoing expenditure for 1 Military Hospital project
The Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Defence on September 3 said it was concerned about the unending repair and maintenance programme (Ramp) of the first floor of 1 Military Hospital, in Tshwane.
The committee’s concerns are based on the cost implications involved, with more than R1-billion already spent, in addition to the cost of medical outsourcing, which are depleting an already-constrained budget.
As a result, the committee has requested to be furnished with a forensic report commissioned by the former Chief of the South African National Defence Force, as well as the progress so far in implementing the recommendations of that report.
“We find it extremely problematic that the Ramp that started in the 2005/6 financial year is yet to be concluded. It seems the project is turning into a milking cow with no end in sight, which negatively affects the fiscus,” said Joint Standing Committee on Defence co-chairperson Elleck Nchabeleng.
While the committee welcomes the intentions to use the Defence Works Formation to finalise the project, the uncertainty in relation to the funding and the projected 29 months to complete the project is disquieting, the committee says.
“The 1 Military Hospital lost its accreditation as a Level 4 hospital by the African Union and United Nations to support external and international peace-keeping operations, largely owing to the non-completion of the repair and maintenance work commissioned in 2006.
"What is concerning is that we cannot satisfactorily point to the value we have received from the expenditure so far,” said Joint Standing Committee on Defence co-chairperson Cyril Xaba.
The committee’s concerns are heightened by the cost escalations, on one hand by construction and on the other, the cost of medical outsourcing.
The committee says it is concerned about the escalating costs paid by the defence department for medical outsourcing as a result of the stalled project. The committee was informed that between 2016/17 and 2019/20 financial years the department spent R138.7-million, R177.8-million, R130.3-million and R182.4-million, respectively, on medical outsourcing.
The committee resolved to revisit the 1 Military Hospital to get to the bottom of the matter and ensure accountability. This will include receiving a detailed breakdown of the expenditure thus far, consequence management against officials and companies involved in wrongdoing and a way forward.
Comments
The
content
you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.
If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation