New eye hospital open
VISION REALISED: MCCORD IS SEEING UP TO 500 PATIENTS A DAY Unions refused to accept closure of the 103-year-old facility.
KwaZulu-Natal’s fi rst eye hospital has brought new hope to the increasing number of patients with eyesight problems. The McCord Provincial Eye Hospital is the first of its kind in the province.
Officially opened by Premier Senzo Mchunu in Durban yesterday, the facility will help improve the standard of eye care service.
Revived by the government in February 2014 after experiencing financial problems and bankruptcy when the provincial department withdrew its annual subsidy, the 103-year-old hospital was taken over by the province’s department of health, saving it from closure.
This prevented hundreds of its employees from losing jobs and kept it open for the community who had been utilising its cheaper healthcare rates for years.
McCord Hospital was officially opened in May 1909 by Dr James McCord who together with his wife Margaret, had come to South Africa from the American Board Mission to work at Adams Mission in Amanzimtoti.
The hospital played a role in training African healthcare workers at the time when they were refused such opportunities by the apartheid regime.
It was semi-privately run, receiving a subsidy from the government so patients paid affordable fees. The subsidy was decreased in 2000 and this forced the hospital to increase patient fees to cover the shortfall.
But the hike in fees was not enough, and hospital management took a decision to close the facility down.
There was a tug-of-war between the government, hospital management and labour unions who refused closure of the 142bed hospital.
An agreement was later reached for the government to buy the health facility.
Premier Mchunu yesterday said the journey was not an easy one.
He said they had a vision when they took over McCord hospital.
Provincial MEC for health, Sibongiseni Dhlomo, said the hospital has been operating since April this year, and is already seeing about 500 patients a day. – news@ citizen.co.za