Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) has made its Port Elizabeth plant available as a temporary medical facility in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

The goal is to assist the local and provincial government in providing care to Covid-19 patients in Nelson Mandela Bay.

The plant in Neave (Korsten, Port Elizabeth), which is currently not in use, will be converted and used as an overflow medical facility. 

VWSA produces its vehicles at its plant in the nearby Uitenhage. The Port Elizabeth plant was used for parts production, storage and distribution.

Once fully operational, the new medical facility could accommodate up to 4 000 beds for patients diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus. This would also include high-acuity patients who require oxygenation. 

The planned conversion of the 66 000 m² building is the result of collaboration between VWSA, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM) and the Eastern Cape Department of Health. 

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) will provide funding of 5.2-million Euros (R107-million) to support the conversion of the plant, as well as the procurement of personal protective gear (PPE) for staff at regional tertiary hospitals, regional primary care clinics and 49 Covid-19 test centres. 

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusamenarbeit (GIZ) will provide a performance framework to account for the public and private engagement and will foster cooperation with the private sector to establish a sustainable strategic alliance in Nelson Mandela Bay. 

VWSA will contribute R28-million to the project, says VWSA chairperson and MD Thomas Schäfer. Additionally, VWSA will manage the conversion of the facility and the procurement of the PPE.

The plant will be made available to government until March next year, with the Department of Health and the NMBM responsible for the management and daily operations of the facility. 

The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s role has been to assist in facilitating the project and garnering further support from its membership base.

Following the signing of the agreement between the parties, the facility is to be completed in phases and handed over to government as the need for medical care in the metro develops. 

The preparation of the first phase of the hospital is currently ongoing and will take about six to eight weeks to be completed. This process will equip the medical facility to accommodate up to 1 484 patients. This will be followed by two more phases.

Schäfer says the project was driven by the fact that the national response to the Covid-19 fight has largely been focused on Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

“We realised that if we do not help ourselves, we may have a problem.”

Schäfer adds that a lack of intensive care beds in rural Eastern Cape could see an influx of people into Port Elizabeth seeking treatment for Covid-19.

“Solidarity is crucial in a crisis – and Covid-19 is an unprecedented global threat,” he notes. 

“Through collaboration we will be able to achieve the position of strength we will need to fight the Covid-19 virus. We are highly appreciative of the financial support from the BMZ and GIZ, as it will help us to continue to offer support to protect our citizens and our country.”

"We will either beat Covid-19 worldwide together, or not at all,” adds German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Gerd Müller.

“That is why I support VWSA’s plan to turn a currently unused factory into a facility for Covid-19 patients. Our contribution forms part of our worldwide Emergency Covid-19 Support Programme. It aims to strengthen and expand health infrastructure, provide emergency aid to stabilise regions in crisis and refugee camps, and to safeguard jobs and food supply."