Hospital funds diverted to 2010
2007-01-25 14:09
Kimberley - The construction of a modern hospital in De Aar has been put on hold due to the preparation costs of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the Northern Cape health department said on Thursday.
Spokesperson Shelley Fielding confirmed there was a 12 month delay in the building of a R200m hospital in De Aar due to a cutback in money available from the national treasury.
"It was as a result of the diversion of funds towards the preparations for 2010."
Fielding was reacting to a local newspaper report that De Aar residents were unhappy with the situation.
According to the report, the ground works for the new hospital were finished around November last year and nothing had happened since then.
Northern Cape premier Dipuo Peters launched the project on site in 2005, indicating that it would create a lot of job opportunities in the local community.
Fielding said building was now scheduled to start in the 2008 financial year, with the expected finishing date the middle of 2011.
Patients from Colesberg, Richmond, Victoria-West and Carnavon would eventually benefit from the 200-bed hospital.
- SAPA