Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Annenberg supports senior citizens’ needs
New state-of-the-art Hermanus Medical Village developed to cater to community demand
AN EVER-increasing population in the Hermanus and surrounding Overberg areas and strong demand for quality medical facilities has prompted Annenberg Property Group to develop a multi- disciplinary medical centre in Hermanus.
Hermanus Medical Village will cater for communities in the greater Overberg area including Hermanus, Onrus, Caledon, Barrydale and Swellendam through to Heidelberg and Bredasdorp.
Annenberg managing director, Dudley Annenberg, says the medical facility will open in January, and will bring a comprehensive range of cutting edge medical facilities to this rapidly expanding node.
The development is in De Goede Street close to the provincial hospital and Mediclinic. It will include the Hermanus Day Hospital with 22 beds and three theatres, as well as the Hermanus Oncology Centre, Spescare – a 20-bed sub-acute facility and Hermanus Elderly Care Place frail-care facility.
“The day hospital concept has grown exponentially in the health sector as it offers a costeffective facility to perform operations that don’t require patients to stay overnight,” says Annenberg.
Typical operations that are performed at a day hospital are general surgery, ophthalmology, gynaecology, urology, orthopaedic, maxillofacial, plastic surgery, ear, nose and throat and dental.
Brian Evans, chief executive of Hermanus Day Hospital, says the town has a large population that requires medical facilities and traditionally many patients have had to travel long distances for certain procedures.
“Our day hospital will be a doctor-driven facility and by inviting all the local doctors to participate in this venture, we will ensure that we acquire the latest technology to enable us to provide medical care of the highest quality.”
Annenberg says Hermanus Medical Village has the potential to be marketed overseas as a medical safari destination.
“For example, at the current exchange rate someone from the UK could afford to fly to South Africa and have plastic surgery at Hermanus Day Hospital for less than it will cost in their own country.
“The Overstrand Municipality insisted that we include an oncology centre, so Hermanus Medical Village will also include Hermanus Oncology Centre, headed by Dr John Duminy, formerly from Klerksdorp Wilmed Park Hospital, where he was head of the branch of Doctors Alberts, Bouwer and Jordaan Inc for the past 10 years.”
Says Duminy: “Previously, people living in these areas would need to travel to Cape
The permanent accommodation at Hermanus Medical Village will cater for single residents as well as couples
Town or Somerset West for oncology treatment, as the only other oncology facility in the region is even further afield in George on the Garden Route. In fact, our research has shown that a third of the patients at Somerset West’s oncology centre are from this region.
“In Swellendam, at the practice of Doctors Boshoff & Partners, we have obtained premises to start a peripheral outreach clinic to extend the services of Hermanus Oncology Centre to the community and all the surrounding towns. This will include appointments for newly diagnosed cancer patients as well as follow-ups. In this way we will have a facility where we bring a chemotherapy service to the community instead of people having to drive long distances to the nearest oncology centre.”
Says Annenberg: “As an additional service offered to oncology patients, five rooms will provide on-site accommodation should they wish to stay overnight in private suites.
“Supporting the day hospital and oncology centre as well as serving the greater Overstrand area is Spescare, a 20bed sub-acute facility offering a comprehensive range of specialist rehabilitation services following accidents, illness or injury resulting in physical or cognitive disabilities. It provides a service for those who require specialist medical rehabilitation by means of doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, dieticians, social workers and case managers.”
All these disciplines will occupy an entire wing of the medical village and the other wing will be occupied by Hermanus Elderly Care Place, which offers a frail-care facility. It has 20 private en suite rooms and 17 double en suite rooms to rent, all with balconies or patios, air-conditioning, DStv and monitored with CCTV cameras. The facility will be managed by Medipartners, a division of Spescare, and will include a residents’ lounge/dining room opening on to a patio.
Says Annenberg: “Notably, there are very few dedicated frail-care facilities in the Western Cape, as generally they are ‘add-ons’ to retirement developments mainly to attract buyers. By offering this option on a rental basis makes frail care more easily accessible as and when required.”
Spescare chief executive, Stanley Snyman, says: “Permanent accommodation is offered in a private health establish- ment, giving residents the peace of mind that their care and well-being is monitored by professional nursing staff, and they also have access to a multidisciplinary team including doctors, nurses and support staff.
“The permanent accommodation at Hermanus Medical Village will cater for single residents as well as couples with en suite living units.”
Annenberg Property Group has also developed St Stephen’s Cure Day Hospital, Oncology Centre and sub-acute facility in Skool Street in Northern Paarl as well as the recently completed Panorama Healthcare Centre in Plattekloof.
Hermanus Elderly Care Place opens on February 1.
For details, call Annenberg on 021 465 7780 or email dudley@annenberg.co.za.