Western Cape Health MEC, Theuns Botha, and Medi-Clinic Corporation Chairman, Dr Edwin Hertzog, will jointly unveil the plaque marking the official opening of Cape Gate Medi-Clinic on 22 April 2010. This gesture symbolically signals what the private hospital group hopes will be a continuing constructive relationship with the public sector towards the delivery of quality, sustainable healthcare to all South Africans.
Medi-Clinic Southern Africa supports Minister Botha’s plans for more cost-effective healthcare delivery in the province through public private partnerships (PPPs), in line with national policy. “Medi-Clinic and the minister and his department of course share many of the same business responsibilities here in the Western Cape; we being one of the biggest providers of private hospital care, while they provide all public healthcare”, Dr Hertzog explains.
The MEC points out that health services are not in a safe and secure state thanks to financial mismanagement in the last decade, hence the reason for the National Health Insurance plan being on the table.“Since my appointment as provincial health minister a year ago I have focused on building a working relationship with the private sector, and invite it to become our partners in health.”
“As an alternative to the National Health Insurance plan, we have researched a whole array of different options to create more revenue for health in the Western Cape. It is in this field that there might be potential growth opportunities for Medi-Clinic Southern Africa. We will be focusing on recovering patient fees and amending legislation to accommodate additional hospital bed licence applications and amending annual licencing fees and are in negotiations with the corporate sector on commercial rights in respect of providing services in public healthcare facilities.”
Dr Hertzog points out that there is still a long way to go in realising the full business potential of such projects. “Despite all the obstacles on the road to successful PPPs, we certainly remain enthusiastic and open to proposals and opportunities. We are just realistic and pragmatic about their implementation and outcomes.”
“We look forward to the expected contribution that Cape Gate Medi-Clinic will make to our company’s triple bottom line: its financial, social and environmental impact. We most certainly will continue to invest in good business opportunities in this wonderful country,” Dr Hertzog says.
Cape Gate Medi-Clinic, the R275 million, 19 000 m² addition to the MCSA family, epitomises the private hospital group’s commitment to providing quality healthcare to the community of the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town with state-of-the-art medical technology and ergonomic and environmental best practices.
The new hospital currently employs 130 staff members and has 140 beds, six operating theatres, a 24-hour emergency centre, 12-bed critical care unit, three-bed neonatal critical care unit and 3 000 m² doctor consulting rooms.
Services include general surgery, anaesthesiology, dermatology, gynaecology and obstetrics, internal medicine, maxillofacial, neuro- and ear, nose and throat surgery, emergency medicine, paediatrics, orthopaedic, spinal and vascular surgery, and urology. In addition to other pre-hospital services, ER24 emergency services also has an onsite facility at the hospital.
Minister Botha congratulated Medi-Clinic Southern Africa on behalf of the Western Cape cabinet on the opening of Cape Gate Medi-Clinic.