New Mpumalanga hospital impresses president Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa conducted a site visit to the newly constructed Middelburg
Hospital in Mpumalanga, expressing his approval of the modern, state-of-the-art facility.
“This is most impressive. It’s a modern, state-of-the-art and it’s going to serve the community
of about 330,000 people. This is development. This is how we are developing our country
from a social and health point of view and we’re doing it cost-effectively as well,”
Ramaphosa stated during his visit on Thursday.

The President’s inspection came ahead of the District Development Model Presidential
Imbizo held in Emalahleni later that day. He commended the thorough consultation process
with local stakeholders and the involvement of small and medium enterprises and
community members in the hospital’s construction.

“I also appreciated the way there was thorough consultation with various stakeholders in the
area to bring in small and medium enterprises and to bring in communities, who participated
in one shape, form or the other in the construction of the hospital,” Ramaphosa said.

He highlighted the benefits of community participation, noting it helps avoid issues with
construction mafias and fosters a sense of ownership. “When the community is well-
organised and is part of the construction of a facility, everybody feels like they own the
facility and they can benefit from a job point of view, and from a supplying point of view.”

Ramaphosa also praised the funding model used for the hospital’s construction, which was
budgeted over five years in phases rather than all at once. “I appreciate also the funding
model that was used. It was funded from the budget but over five years in various phases,
not all at once. To do it over a set period is clearly the way to go,” he stated.

The President views the new hospital as a positive step towards the implementation of the
National Health Insurance (NHI) initiative. “This is going to be a clean, well-run hospital and
a really good demonstration of what the NHI [National Health Insurance] is going to be all
about. So this is a very good precursor to the NHI.”

Addressing critics of the NHI, Ramaphosa said, “Those who have been criticising the NHI
[we now]… have… an improved facility and improved infrastructure… this is it. We are ready
for the NHI at this site. When the NHI Bill is signed [into law], this is going to be one of the
exciting sites for NHI implementation.”