Gansbaai Hospitaal Nou Finaliteit

-Overstrand Medical Centre- 

“Na soveel jare se harde werk en deursettingsvermoëns, is ons eindelik vandag hier om die eerste sooi vir Overstrand Medical Centre te spit,” het Raadsdame Riana de Coning op Vrydag, 28 Julie 2023 gesê. “Die langverwagte droom om ons eie hospitaal vir Gansbaai-gemeenskap te kry, het vandag gerealiseer en ek voel lus om “Halleluja” te skree!” Gans-Berg Nuus het die geleentheid bygewoon en die redaksie is opgewonde oor die positiewe nuus wat aan die gemeenskap oorgedra kan word.

Raadsdame de Coning het na Roy T Bennett verwys, wat gesê het: “When you start living the life of your dreams, there will always be obstacles, doubts, mistakes and setbacks along the way. But with hard work, perseverance and self-belief there is no limit to what you can achieve.” - “En dit is presies wat oor die tydperk met die beplanning van die hospitaal gebeur het,” het sy bygevoeg. Sy het dr Pierrre Nel en sy span opreg bedank vir alles wat sover bereik is en hulle alle sterkte op die pad vorentoe toegewens. “Wees verseker dat Gansbaai bankvas agter julle staan en dat elke dag se vordering noukeurig dopgehou sal word.” Raadsdame de Coning het die sooispit-geleentheid namens Overstrandse Uitvoerende Burgemeester, dr Annelie Rabie bygewoon.

History: Overstrand Medical Centre

(Acknowledgement: Janine de Nysschen)

Towards the end of 2015, Dr Pierre Nel and his business partners identified Erf 3905 in Gansbaai as the ideal location for a private hospital. Situated at the entrance to the town, opposite the police station, and with a slight elevation and ocean view, it was prime property. Their company, Cape Ethical Organics Pty Ltd (Cape-EO) started a multi-year process to extend and buy the land, resulting in two hectares, rezoned appropriately - now consolidated as Erf 4081 - being made available as a site for a future hospital.

Tender SC1823/2017 for consolidated Erf 4081 was advertised in September 2017, marked for the development of a hospital. Cape-EO actively tendered for the contract. In May 2018 the Overstrand Municipality extended the tender to Cape-EO. After initial feasibility studies, Cape-EO soon developed a concept for a 32-bed hospital with 2 minor surgical theatres, plus an emergency and resuscitation unit.

In March 2019, Cape-EO applied to the Western Cape Department of Health requesting approval for the setting up of a private hospital in Gansbaai. The application included a request for an emergency centre, with a resuscitation unit, to be approved. In the primary motivation, Cape-EO noted the absence of much-needed emergency facilities in the Greater Gansbaai area.

In August 2019, after a lengthy inclusive consultation process with key stakeholders, Cape-EO received official approval from the Western Cape Department of Health to build a 20-bed private facility with two minor theatres. However, approval was withheld for emergency care. The Department of Health’s evaluation committee noted inter alia that the Overstrand area had sufficient bed capacity, including 80 acute beds and 18 approved uncommissioned acute beds at Mediclinic Hermanus to serve a population of 29,824 public patients and 9,941 private patients.

Cape-EO subsequently engaged with the Department of Health and the Overstrand Municipality, as well as private health providers within the Greater Gansbaai area to assess population dynamics, to better define the model of care needed, and to reiterate a commitment to setting up emergency facilities. In the feedback received at a provincial and municipal level, the intention to extend the proposed hospital facility with an emergency unit and overnight beds was noted, and consensus was reached that the extension could be reconsidered two years from when the Gansbaai Hospital application was approved.

No one could foresee the impact of Covid 19, which then led to an almost eighteen-month moratorium in terms of new healthcare establishments being set up. Cape-EO had to obtain a 12-month extension on the building project, to keep the hospital option open. During the Covid lull, work on Overstrand Medical Centre continued with a project team advising on funding, community collaboration and construction. Multiple meetings were held with local authorities to outline the next steps. Only in January 2021 did it become possible for Cape-EO to submit its hospital architectural plans for departmental approval. These plans for the Overstrand Medical Centre were reviewed, amended, and finally approved by the Western Cape Department of Health on 8 July 2021.

After consultations with knowledgeable provincial and municipal stakeholders, Cape-EO decided to apply for the emergency unit extension, to streamline building processes and accelerate the provision of much-needed emergency healthcare services in the Greater Gansbaai area. The request for the approval of the 24x7 emergency unit and the conversion of one of the existing daybed wards to an overnight ward with four acute beds added several more months to the schedule.

With license approval for the Emergency Centre granted by the Western Cape Department of Health on 25 May 2022, Cape-EO began putting together the construction and pre-commissioning teams for the process of setting up the long-awaited Overstrand Medical Centre. Business discussions were started to bring radiology, medical lab, and pharmacy partners on board. Land transfer and construction planning commenced. Architectural plans for the newly designed emergency centre were submitted to the Western Cape Department of Health and these plans were approved in December 2022.

Cape-EO’s proposed radiology partners also applied to and received approval from the Western Cape Department of Health in early 2023 to set up a radiology and diagnostics facility. All activities in the second quarter of 2023 have been geared towards the commencement of earthworks on the site. In April 2023, the site development plan was submitted to the Overstrand Municipality for approval, and site clearing started the same month. On 20 July 2023, Cape-EO submitted the building plans for the emergency unit to the municipality. Further site preparations have continued, with the old helipads being relocated to make way for the foundations of the new buildings. The construction team gathered on 28 July 2023 to take official sod-turning photos for the groundbreaking at the site.

Hardus Botha