A Project Progress Report by the ministry of infrastructure and housing development has apportioned blame for the delayed Maun General Hospital refurbishment project, which was anticipated to have long been completed in 2018.
The contract initially awarded to NetBuilders (Pty) Ltd at a value of P66, 667,160.21 for duration of one year. To be exact, the hospital refurbishment which commenced on the 10th of July 2017 was scheduled to be completed by the 10th of July 2018, but four years on, the project is yet to be completed.
However, there has been a delay in the completion of minor building works, something the report highlights was caused by the contractor’s lack of commitment, despite having been assisted with direct payment for the needed materials.
This surfaced during the presentation of the report by the ministry’s Maun based Civil Engineer Lame Pudipedi during the Maun Administrative Council meeting recently. According to the report, the project is currently at 83% completion stage.
The hospital, which operates as a 24-hour clinic consists of the 21 blocks which are being refurbished that includes the outpatient department, youth friendly services, radiology (x-ray and ultrasound), dental clinic, TB ward, quarantine room for port health, administration offices. At the maternity side there will be a labour ward and antenatal/ postnatal ward.
The other blocks include the transit accommodation for members of staff, mortuary, public health program offices, a pharmacy, generator room, observation ward, female ward, sexual reproductive health, records, kitchen, the laundry and the conference room.
The electrical installation works was completed and the handing over of the electrical sub-contractors (Lejala Electrical) was done on the 4th of November 2021. However, residential houses have since been subjected to vandalism due to shortage of security on site, where electrical installations have been stolen. To avert this, the houses have since been handed to the client for occupation.
Furthermore, the report also indicated that the sub-contractors have been instructed to complete data networking and nurse call system in wards and office in order to reach practical completion and hand over them to the client. According the sub-contractors’ schedule, it will take up to end of January 2023 to complete this works.
Previously, Net Builders Site Agent, Tatenda Dandara said that the reason for the delay was due funds from government taking long to be credited, to which the ministry immediately assisted.
According to the report, the ministry’s plan is to hand over the facilities after sub-contractors complete the works noting that minor building works will then be attended to during defects liability period.
