GQEBERHA, Eastern Cape — The Eastern Cape Health Department has officially launched a R76 million Livingstone Hospital Complex security upgrade in Gqeberha, marking a critical step toward safeguarding patients, healthcare workers, and essential medical services. The comprehensive initiative addresses years of mounting safety concerns driven by ageing infrastructure, vandalism, and repeated security breaches at the busy referral facility.
For decades, Livingstone Hospital has served as one of the Eastern Cape’s busiest referral hospitals. However, an Eastern Cape Health Department spokesperson highlighted that deteriorating facilities and crime have increasingly pressured healthcare delivery. The spokesperson noted that security breaches not only endanger lives but also damage critical medical equipment needed for essential services. Underscoring the urgency of the investment, the department revealed that approximately nine to 12 Community Health Centres (CHCs) mandated to operate 24 hours a day are currently non-functional due to crime.
Employee welfare remains a central focus of the Livingstone Hospital Complex security upgrade. Hospital management representatives emphasized that staff have frequently expressed discomfort and raised serious security complaints, with some even threatening to withhold their services if a safe working environment is not guaranteed.
“We are trying our level best to make sure that whatever we do, we make our employees comfortable, because if they are not comfortable, they are not going to give quality care to our clients,” a department representative stated.
The intensified push for safety improvements follows a tragic incident in 2024, when an on-duty security guard, Nomuni, lost her life. Hospital management recounted that a heavy metal gate fell on her while she was attempting to close it. This devastating event galvanized the call for immediate infrastructure modernization, including the complete removal of outdated gates and the installation of upgraded perimeter defenses.
The three-year project will be executed in phases to minimize disruptions to ongoing hospital services. It includes the installation of new perimeter fencing, advanced CCTV surveillance systems, improved lighting, and modernized access control. Additionally, the initiative is projected to create at least 55 jobs, with employment opportunities specifically targeted at local community members and young people.
Trade union representatives have welcomed the Livingstone Hospital Complex security upgrade with cautious optimism. Acknowledging the steps taken by the executive management and the political head of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, a union representative expressed appreciation for the initiative. However, they tempered their praise with a note of vigilance, stating, “We welcome the initiative, but we will see, because history has taught us that we only see the soil there,” indicating a strong desire to see tangible, completed results rather than just initial promises.
As construction begins, the department remains committed to transforming the facility into a secure environment where healthcare professionals can focus entirely on delivering quality care without fear for their safety.