CMH to offer top-class care
First patients due in seven months
NEW services such as renal dialysis, a scope room, orthopaedic services and a standalone psychiatric facility will soon be available at the newly built Cecilia Makiwane hospital.
The hospital, which has a 9km interior perimeter, is set to admit its first patient by mid-2017. The R1.3billion state-of-the-art building has been nine years in the making.
The scope room allows for the medical staff to use specialised cameras to look inside patients. CMH’s orthopaedic services were moved to Frere hospital, but will now have their own. The new hospital also boasts maternity, neonatal, paediatric and general wards as well as theatres and a neonatal ICU.
Health MEC Dr Pumza Dyanti said the project was an illustration of their commitment to improve public health care services in the province.
“The high-tech facility will be fitted with modern medical equipment worth over R300-million. I appeal to the people of Mdantsane to take pride in and safeguard this hospital, as it belongs to them,” she said.
CMH CEO Dr Mthandeki Xhamlashe said they were already getting ready for the move from the old hospital to the new one. “We have started with our bi-weekly commissioning meetings to ensure a smooth start. Administration will move in during February. We are excited about the new services that are to be opened,” said Xhamlashe.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said the new services were to increase the number of patients that could be helped in line with the Batho Pele guidelines.
Kupelo said the hospital will be digitally operated and will connect to Victoria hospital in Alice, Butterworth hospital and Dutywa community health centre. These health facilities will send and receive images for diagnosis and prescription.”
The new hospital is built on state land and more than 70% of the old building will be demolished to make room for the new psychiatric unit.
A statue of Cecilia Makiwane, South Africa’s pioneering black nurse after whom the hospital is named, will be erected on the premises. — CECILIA Makiwane Hospital’s cat population will be given an eviction order when the staff and patients are moved to the new building.
CMH is notorious around Mdantsane for having stray cats randomly moving around the hospital at all times of the day.
Hospital CEO Dr Mthandeki Xhamlashe said they will call the SPCA to deal with the cat problem as they had done in the past.
“From time to time we have called them to catch the cats but they never catch all of them.
“By the design of the old hospital there has been a lot of these stray cats breeding.
“We will do our best not to move with them to the new site,” Xhamlashe said.
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “The matter will be referenced to the SPCA.” — Siya Boya