Mandela children’s hospital to open in December

Construction of the much anticipated Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital has been completed, with its official opening set for December.

Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund CEO Sibongile Mkhabela said the building in Parktown, Johannesburg was completed last month.

"Contractors handed over they keys of the building to us in June, we will be opening its doors officially in December. The building is now being equipped inside, including interior art and features. It has been been a long journey, from the conception of the business plan and lobbying that took ten years, to the commencement of construction in 2014," Mkhabela said at the organisation’s Mandela Day activities launch in Johannesburg on Friday.

She said an amount of R1 billion was needed to carry out the project, and her organisation had so far raised R850-million. The hospital would pride itself in the notion that no child would be turned away due to an inability to pay, said Mkhabela

"We involved government, the private sector, universities for their knowledge hubs to make the project work. The hospital is not only a Mandela legacy, it is for everyone," she said.

"This is to enable everyone to be part of the dream through lending of skills, donations no matter how small they are. We had little children who embarked on fundraising for the hospital through selling cakes and are still doing that today…the fundraising still continues."

The state-of-the-art hospital was the brainchild of the former statesman who encouraged society’s involvement in the nurturing and safeguarding of children. Mandela died in December 2013, aged 95.

Mkhabela said Mandela always involved children during his iconic birthday celebrations on July 18.

"He insisted having children around to celebrate with them. He would be out here in the grass, gathering them around and telling them stories. Today’s celebration is along the same lines, we brought in celebrated story teller Qcina Mhlophe to tell them beautiful tales as we look forward to July 18," she said.

The NMCF was able to mobilise resources inside and outside the continent. A Canadian children’s hospital, among other parties, has partnered with the fund to see through the project, Mkhabela added.

The hospital would employ at least 150 doctors and 451 paediatric nursing professionals. The new hospital would be South Africa’s second children hospital after the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town.