Pelonomi is a specialist hospital also providing training of health professionals. Access to the hospital is mostly by referral from other institutions, although the is a casualty providing need for acute emergencies.

Hospital Services: 

• Medicine
• Obstetrics
• Orthopedics
• Pediatrics
• Surgery
• Trauma

• Anaesthetics
• Intensive Care
• Radiology

• Pharmacy
• Physiotheraphy
• Occupational therapy
• Social work
• Speech therapy

• IT
• Technical Services
• Clinical Engineering
• Finance
• Administration: HR; HRD & Admin Support

The government under the rule of the National Party identified the need for a black hospital in Bloemfontein after taking over the regime in 1948. The planning of the institution was done under the leadership of the member of the Executive Committee assigned to Hospital Affairs, Mr AJ van Schalkwyk.  To make this possible, the Hospitals Ordinance (No 13 of 1933) had to be amended in 1963 to allow “provision of beds for such patients in Bloemfontein and on the Goldfields.”  The black hospital in Bloemfontein was taken into use in February 1965.  After thorough consideration the Executive Committee resolve that the institution be named “Pelonomi” meaning “magnanimity” in the Tswana language, an appropriate name bearing in mind that this institution was the first of its kind in the Free State.  It heralded the establishment of other separate hospitals for black people in the province.  Staff for the new hospital was appointed during 1964.

The official opening of the hospital took place on May 14, 1965, in the presence of approximately 1200 invited guests.  The keynote address was delivered by the then Minister of Bantu Administration and Development, the honourable Mr MDC de Wet.  Luster was added to the proceedings with choral singing and refreshments.  The hospital was erected at a cost of R1, 5m, making provision for 350 beds and an expansion by approximately 258 beds.  A 60-bed isolation unit at a cost of R80 000 was also planned on the same site.  The opening of Pelonomi hospital was planned to provide for the needs of the black community.  Not only would it open avenues for employment for black personnel, but it would be in accordance with the then Government policy to have black people being served by their own people.  The hospital staff at that point in time was consisted of 32 doctors, 94 professional nurses, 181 student nurses, 33 assistant nurses, 3 radiographers, 24 semi-skilled personnel and 111 unskilled personnel.  The hospital came to full capacity soon after commissioning.  During 1966 the popularity of the institution increased to the extent that it became well-known outside the provincial borders.  The building of the old Strydom Training College was also converted into a Nurses Home.  Prefabricated wards were erected to expand capacity and 30-bed isolation was taken into use in April 1967.  Until the establishment of Pelonomi, orthopedic patients were accommodated in the Lebogang After Care Home.  A review of Orthopaedics in 1965 concluded that 205 patients at an average hospital stay of 80 days could not be accommodated without refusing patients access to acute beds. This resulted in extending a contract with the Society for Care of the crippled.

Two full-time specialists were appointed during 1967.  a special ward round 2 times per week was introduced as well as a study programme for registrars.

On 6 June 1968 the then Minister of Health announces the forming of a Medical Faculty attached to the University of the Orange Free State.  In that year the beds in the institution increased to 442.  undergraduate training of Medical students commenced in 1970.  lecture rooms were established at Pelonomi hospital in 1973 by converting old stores into 4 lecture halls and the hospital formed the major training facility for the undergraduate s in student as well as postgraduate training.  During this time a student cafeteria was erected at Pelonomi and the medical students christened the lecture facilities in Pelonomi the “Pelonomi Boys High.”

Prof Meyer conducted the first open-heart surgery in Pelonomi in 1972.  a strategic master plan to improve the hospital was completed in 1975 when the hospital consisted of general wards erected  in a H-shape, a children and maternity facility, radiotherapy, isolation wards, temporary lecture facilities and housing of ambulant patients in the old school building – this was to become known as the Pelonomi annexe.  A new block with 344-bed capacity was completed in 1983 with the option of expanding the hospital to a 1200-bed facility.  At that time Pelonomi hospital was one of the best –equipped black hospitals in the country.  The hospital performed all the procedures done at the white hospitals in Bloemfontein as well as approximately 4 open-heart operations per week and renal transplants.  During 1988, under difficult circumstances with limited funding, an obstetric high care unit was established under the leadership of Dr Schoon and Mrs Shuping.  This later developed into a full tertiary maternal medicine unit that moved nationally and internationally.  In 1990, because of the specialized nature of the unit, the first white person was admitted to the maternity section, with an outcry by and resistance from medical staff as the environment was perceived to be unacceptable for white persons.

As the major tertiary and training facility, the Medical Faculty played a pivotal role in determining the standard of care in the hospital and the service provided to the Free State community.

With the appointment of Me Madolo as Chief Executive Officer and Dr MG Schoon as the Chief specialist in 2001/2, the management in style in the institution changed to a cost centre orientated organization. 

Principal specialist as the clinical leaders and accountable officials supported by day to day managers at the level of assistant managers: nursing and a head of administration for the cost centre at administrative offices level were appointed for medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopaedics, paeditrics, anesthesia and theatre, ICU, trauma and radiology.  Administrative management and technical cost centres were also developed.  Financial accountability shifted to clinical services delivery arrears with an increased autonomy of the departments.

During this period the hospital was also exposed to revitalization with both physical and structural revision of the institution.  Great emphasis was placed on computerization with a picture archiving and communication system ( PACS) becoming a reality in 2009.  The institution also established a medical practitioner lead occupational health team working towards full staff support for the hospital and region. This team has interacted with a research team from Canada to establish an occupational health database.

The cost centre approach have proved to be successful with many other institutions from the public sector coming to benchmark the management of cost centres.