WITH just 62 days to go before the World Cup kicks off, Durban's King Edward Hospital has been chosen as one of the hospitals that will treat critically injured players and tourists during the tournament.

WITH just 62 days to go before the World Cup kicks off, Durban's King Edward Hospital has been chosen as one of the hospitals that will treat critically injured players and tourists during the tournament.

More than R24million has been spent to renovate the second-largest hospital in the southern hemisphere to meet the demands of the World Cup.

Spokesperson Nontobeko Ndlela said the hospital, which treats thousands of patients a day, had been chosen as a step up for trauma and intensive care unit cases during the World Cup.

"Major renovations are at present taking place in the acute and emergency units in preparation for this world event," Ndlela said.

"Renovations would have taken place anyway but would probably have taken longer were it not for the World Cup.

"So not only the institution but KwaZulu-Natal, the department of health and the community as a whole will benefit."

She said the hospital was chosen by the provincial department of health "after realising that the Inkosi Albert Luthuli and Addington hospitals would not be able to cope."

Ndlela said the hospital was ideally situated at just 23km from the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Six World Cup matches will be played in Durban.