The Gauteng Department of Health has received a R67 billion budget for the 2025-26 financial year to enhance healthcare services, upgrade infrastructure, and tackle critical health challenges across the province. The announcement was made by Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, during a post-budget media briefing at the provincial legislature on Tuesday.
“This budget reflects our commitment to improving service delivery, strengthening infrastructure, and addressing priority health needs,” Nkomo-Ralehoko said.
A significant portion of the budget, R1.7 billion, is allocated for hospital maintenance and new capital projects. This includes R100 million for upgrading laundry services and operating theatres, with ongoing refurbishments at Carletonville and Bheki Mlangeni hospitals. New facilities include the Daveyton hospital, Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital with 287 additional mental health beds, and the conversion of Johan Heyns Community Health Centre into a district hospital.
The department is expanding its hospital digitisation programme from Chris Hani Baragwanath to 36 additional facilities, creating economic opportunities for 100 young people through skills transfer. Forensic Pathology Services will introduce biometric tagging and fingerprint integration, supported by two LowDox machines worth R14 million for non-invasive diagnostics.
Mental health services receive R484.1 million this year, rising to R1.4 billion over the medium term. The department has added 400 long-term care beds, increasing capacity to 1,930, and expanded occupational therapy and psychosocial rehabilitation at Tara Hospital.
Primary Health Care is allocated R38.4 billion, focusing on maternal and child health to reduce preventable deaths. To address staffing shortages, 500 professional nurses, 200 midwifery undergraduates, and 90 postgraduate midwifery students will be trained by December. Critical posts will be filled gradually due to resource constraints.
A new Treatment Time Guarantee (TTG) will provide patients with surgical timelines at their first booking. In honour of Mandela Day on 18 July, clinical teams will perform approximately 1,000 surgeries, including cataracts, prostate cancer, cleft palates, and colostomy reversals.
The fight against HIV and TB is backed by R5.4 billion, with 95% of people living with HIV aware of their status and 76% on treatment. The department aims to re-engage 326,000 people in treatment and test 900,000 for TB by December.
Efforts to reduce medico-legal claims have lowered contingent liabilities from R24.7 billion in 2019-20 to R7.2 billion in 2024-25. “We are focusing on preventing errors rather than paying for them,” Nkomo-Ralehoko said.
The Gauteng MEC concluded by stressing accountability: “This budget is about delivering impact and ensuring dignity and care remain at the heart of our services.”
