Mediclinic Hermanus opens neonatal ICU

An expanded paediatric unit and new neonatal critical care unit (NICU) at Mediclinic Hermanus provides reassurance to families and expectant parents in the Overberg community.

Mediclinic Hermanus is the only acute care private hospital between Somerset West and Mossel Bay to offer expanded specialist services, says Gerhard Joubert, Hospital General Manager at Mediclinic Hermanus. But the hospital now offers patients the added advantages of more paediatric beds and a brand-new NICU.

“The Overstrand/Overberg community has seen continued and sustained growth over the past few years, and with that, the associated demand for healthcare has grown,” he explains. “As the towns are expanding around us, we needed to expand our services to meet the growing need for acute hospital care. The new paediatric ward at Mediclinic Hermanus has expanded from five to seven beds and a completely new two-bed NICU has been established.”

Cobé Grobler, Patient Experience Officer at the hospital, says the units are supported by experienced, empathetic surgeons and nursing staff, and are designed to be child friendly. “Soft colours, lots of light and the use of sea animal motifs inspired by our surrounding areas bring comfort,” she explains. “The paediatric unit also has a separate consultation area, which creates a level of trust. These units also allow for one parent to stay over, which contributes to the wellbeing of paediatric patients and their families.”

Professional Nurse Marcha Izatt is the Unit Manager of the obstetric unit, in which the NICU is situated. “It’s great to have the opportunity to look after our little patients in a new, clean environment with the latest technology so we can offer the best medical care,” she says. “In this facility we have the infrastructure to care not only for the little ones, but for the parents as well. We’re privileged to work with passionate doctors who ensure the best results for our little ones.”

Babies are a precious gift to parents, says Dr Madelein Grobbelaar, a Paediatrician at Mediclinic Hermanus. “For this reason, it’s very reassuring that our expectant parents know the NICU at Mediclinic Hermanus is right there to cater for any unforeseen medical needs. Families no longer need to travel to Cape Town for such specialised care.”

Dr Adelene Esterhuizen, an Obstetrician Gynaecologist at Mediclinic Hermanus, says with the NICU on site, she no longer needs to refer high-risk patients and premature babies to Somerset West. “This is relevant to babies in the 28-36-week range,” she explains. “If they’re earlier than 28 weeks, they fall into quite a different risk category, and still need to be referred. But at least these cases are few and far between. Before our new unit opened, I had to refer premature babies of 28-36 weeks to a facility with a NICU. Some expectant parents saw this as a deciding factor to do their antenatal care at another facility. This meant we lost a big pool of patients who were reluctant to have deliveries here without a NICU.”

New mother Mrs Mkhubelweni recently gave birth at 31 weeks to a baby weighing just 1.3kg.  “The first time I saw my premature baby, I was devastated not knowing if he will make it,” she says.  “The medical team at Mediclinic Hermanus gave me hope. They took great care of my child. They looked after him 24/7 and he received the best medical care. Their dedication and their service was excellent.”

Dr Esterhuizen adds that it’s more convenient and cost-effective for patients to deliver their babies closer to home. “Some of our rural patients travel close to 100km to get to us; imagine how far it is for them to drive to a hospital in a different town. They now have the expertise they can trust right at their doorstep.”

Further work has also been carried out across the hospital to provide a welcoming and reassuring atmosphere to complement its first-class clinical services. As always, the Emergency Centre at Mediclinic Hermanus is ready to assist the community with any medical emergency 24/7.