R70m state-of-the-art hospital for Century City
IT IS one of the fastest-growing hubs in Cape Town with more than 50000 people living and working in its precinct, and now Century City will boast its very own hospital.
The Intercare Medical Centre and Day Hospital, which incorporates different medical specialities under one roof, is the first comprehensive day medical centre in the area.
The state-of-the-art hospital, which has been built at a cost of about R70 million, offers a range of services such as radiology, pathology, general medical care, dental services and psychology.
Boasting three theatres, a procedure room, 24 beds, a mammography unit, a centre for lifestyle management – focusing on wellness – and a pharmacy, the centre integrates primary care and specialist care. The idea is to make it easier for patients to seek further healthcare within the facility should they need it.
Intercare chief executive Dr Hendrik Hanekom said the centre would not only provide easy access to residents of Century City and surrounds, but it would also provide affordable healthcare as it “cut out acute hospital costs”.
“In doing so, Intercare disengaged itself from the costly and outdated traditional healthcare model still largely practised in South Africa and, instead, embraced contemporary, international trends in value-based healthcare.
“Value-based healthcare places its emphasis on value rather than volumes. The focus is firmly centred on patient outcomes with the ultimate goal being to maximise value for patients. In essence, it’s about achieving the best outcomes at the lowest cost,” he said.
By bringing together different specialities, they would not only eliminate the fragmentation of healthcare, but also be able to eliminate hospital-based infections.
Dr Nick Kairionos, a plastic surgeon who initiated the idea of having the medical hub in the area, said the hospital would be home to leading specialists in hand surgery, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, ear nose and throat specialists, general surgery, gastroenterology, and maxillofacial surgery.
Not only is the hospital central, making it easy to access, but Kairionos said the medical centre will fill the gap that Century City had as a lifestyle precinct.