Construction of Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital Commences

South African construction firm Group Five (Johannesburg, South Africa) has started construction of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital at Parktown (Johannesburg, South Africa).

Set for completion in early 2016, the 200-bed hospital is expected to be a world-class, highly advanced specialized children's hospital which will employ 150 doctors and 451 pediatric nursing professionals. The hospital will be built next to the Wits University Medical School (Johannesburg, South Africa), which will provide the hospital with academic teaching support to help enhance its operational efficiencies and staffing models.

Upon completion, the new hospital will provide services in the fields of hematology, oncology, pulmonology, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosciences, craniofacial, nephrology, and general pediatric surgery. A bone marrow transplant center and a nephrology/urology/dialysis center will join the neonatal, surgical, and general intensive care units (ICUs) to complete the not-for-profit hospital, the construction of which will be funded by The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust (NMCHT; Johannesburg, South Africa).

“We still have a long way to go, but we are confident that with the support of those who share this dream, we will be able to build and present to the public a fitting last legacy of this international icon,” said Nana Magomola, deputy chairperson of NMCHT. “The project represents a key milestone in trust's efforts to make Nelson Mandela's last wish of building a children's hospital in South Africa a reality.”

Currently there are only four specialized children’s hospitals on the African continent; two in Egypt, one in Nairobi (Kenya), and one in Cape Town (South Africa). This compares dismally to the 23 children’s hospitals in Canada, 19 in Australia, 20 in Germany, and 157 in the United States.

Related Links:
Group Five
Wits University Medical School
The Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust