The Eastern Cape Department of Health has launched a R76 million security infrastructure upgrade at the Livingstone Hospital and Provincial Hospital Complex in Gqeberha, marking a major investment in improving safety, protecting public assets and strengthening healthcare services.
The three-year project, led by the Eastern Cape Department of Health, will modernise security infrastructure across one of the province's busiest healthcare facilities while ensuring that hospital services continue with minimal disruption. The upgrade will include the construction and rehabilitation of boundary walls and high-security fencing, the installation of modern CCTV surveillance cameras and improved perimeter lighting, the refurbishment of gatehouses and access control points, as well as major renovations to Protea Flats. External infrastructure, including stormwater systems and other civil works, will also be upgraded.
Speaking at the official launch, Eastern Cape MEC for Health Ntandokazi Capa said the investment is about much more than infrastructure. "Today, we are making a statement. A statement that public healthcare facilities matter. A statement that the lives of our healthcare worker s matter. A statement that the safety of every patient who enters these gates matters," said Capa.
Livingstone Hospital and Provincial Hospital have served Eastern Cape communities for generations, providing essential healthcare to thousands of patients every month. However, ageing infrastructure and repeated incidents of vandalism and theft have highlighted the need for improved security to safeguard patients, staff and public resources. The project is designed to create lasting benefits beyond the hospital precinct.
It is expected to create employment opportunities, with priority given to local communities. Young people will benefit from internships in engineering, quantity surveying, building management and occupational health and safety, while accredited technical training in plumbing, paving and painting will help equip local residents with practical skills for future employment. Local small businesses are also expected to benefit through dedicated procurement opportunities.
Capa said protecting healthcare infrastructure is essential to delivering quality healthcare services and ensuring that public hospitals remain places of hope for communities. "Today, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting every healthcare worker who serves within these walls. Today, we safeguard the dignity of every patient who seeks healing here. And today we invest not simply in infrastructure but in a safer, stronger, more resilient public health system for generations to come," she said.
The security upgrade forms part of the Eastern Cape Provincial Government's broader commitment to improving public healthcare infrastructure while creating jobs, developing skills and building safer facilities that communities can rely on for generations to come.
