Announcement on Durban hospital’s future
2013-01-29 13:02
Video
2013-01-22 11:30
The future of one of the largest hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal remains uncertain. Watch.WATCH
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Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal provincial government will make an announcement on Wednesday about the future of Durban's 103-year-old McCord Hospital, which faces closure amid reduced state funding.
KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo said on Tuesday an agreement had yet to be reached with McCord Hospital.
The hospital's management announced two weeks ago that it had decided to close the facility by the end of March because the provincial department had failed to inform it what its annual subsidy, if any, would be.
The hospital received a R70m subsidy in 2011/12.
Last week, KwaZulu-Natal health department head Sibongile Zungu said no decision had been taken on a subsidy for the 142-bed hospital.
Speaking at a press conference in Durban, she said a committee in the department's hospital services section would meet this week to determine McCord's subsidy.
On Tuesday, Dhlomo would not comment on whether this committee had reached a decision.
King George V Hospital, which opened in 1939 and had been upgraded at a cost of R1.1bn in the past five years, would be renamed the King Dinizulu Hospital.
It specialised in tuberculosis and psychiatric treatment, but had numerous other facilities, and served about 700 000 people.
- SAPA