For too long, expectant mothers and individuals needing medical attention have had to travel from their homes in Nomzamo and Lwandle to the Hottentots Hospital (HH) in Somerset West or to Macassar. Plans are finally underway to build a new, long-overdue district hospital that will serve both communities.
According to City Vision, the new hospital is a collaborative effort by the Western Cape Department of Health and is expected to cater to the needs of the residents, including accommodation facilities. The department has already approved a comprehensive business plan for the construction of a 370-bed district hospital.
Despite the promising initiative, these plans may take some time to materialise.
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Mark van der Heever, the deputy director of communications at the Western Cape Department of Health, stated that this new facility will replace the existing Helderberg District Hospital. However, before the final blueprint can be put into action, various approval procedures must be successfully navigated, which includes securing funding from the national government.
These administrative processes are inherently time-consuming, and as a result, construction is unlikely to commence before 2030.
Nevertheless, a location for the new hospital has been earmarked by the Western Cape Government Department of Infrastructure. This designated site, situated along the N2, has already been enclosed by fencing, and a security container has been provided for the guards.
Expressing his sentiments on the matter, Xolani Diniso, the representative for Ward 86, described the anticipated hospital as long-awaited and overdue. He emphasised that its establishment will not only generate employment opportunities but will also significantly transform and safeguard the lives of numerous individuals.
Diniso explained the pressing need for this development, stating, ‘We don’t have a hospital here in Strand. We depend on the Hottentots Hospital (HH) in Helderberg,’ explained Diniso. ‘People have lost their loved ones on the way to the hospital because it is too far. And pregnant women, when they have to go for maternity, go to Macassar.’
As progress gears up, it is projected that groundwork will commence in the coming year. The entire construction project will be executed in well-planned phases, culminating in the completion of the new hospital.
Anticipated to accommodate 370 beds, a parking facility with 450 spaces, an emergency helicopter, an additional 44 beds in the emergency centre, and 23 consultant rooms, the new hospital will also feature dedicated maternity rooms.
Diniso emphasised that the hospital’s reach will extend to include people from Caledon and Macassar, thereby serving a broader community.
He expressed his belief that when the government begins staffing the new hospital, local medical practitioners who are currently working in different areas will be reallocated.
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