Massive upgrades for improved service at New Somerset Hospital

Tags

---

02-05-2023
Read : 710 times
IOL
Source

Cape Town - The provincial Health and Wellness Department has announced massive infrastructural upgrades for New Somerset Hospital.

Upgrades will include a new acute psychiatric unit (APU) in addition to upgrades to theatres and ventilation systems. The regional hospital, which is located in Green Point, is South Africa’s oldest hospital and the first to provide training to medical doctors. The hospital opened in 1864 and has been declared a provincial heritage site. It was the original academic hospital attached to UCT prior to the opening of Groote Schuur Hospital.

On Wednesday, Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo inspected the R147.992-million project, of which the construction of the APU and upgrades will cost R62.779m and R34.608m respectively.

The APU will allow the facility to better deal with the burden of mental health in the province. The department said the 30-bed unit will be equipped with secure and open spaces, therapeutic areas, and isolation units. The APU is expected to be completed by February 2025.

Two of the four theatres are being renovated at the same time to limit the amount of disruption to the hospital’s operations and is expected to be completed in May 2024.

The new theatres will have upgraded medical imaging facilities, new cold rooms and theatres, as well as UPS installed for load shedding.

“I am excited about the developments that are taking place at New Somerset Hospital. The construction of the hospital’s new APU will help capacitate the acute mental health services in the Western Cape, of which more than R260m of APU construction is already taking place in the metro. Despite the excellent work being done by New Somerset, the 40-bed unit being used does not have the facilities needed to provide holistic therapeutic care for mental health patients, making this project even more important,” Mbombo said.

“We look forward to the immense work that will commence in due course, such as the fire-proofing of the hospital due to the old material which were used in its initial construction. I commend the dedicated team of professionals working at New Somerset Hospital who will see through these important interventions.”