Emergency unit part of R30m upgrade at private hospital
LIFE Healthcare has recently invested R30.8-million in Life Queenstown Private Hospital.
Reporters were taken on a tour of the new facilities yesterday by hospital manager Benjamin Deyzel, nurse manager Penelope Magrimo and Life Healthcare marketing and communications official Siphokazi Nxopo.
The hospital is situated on the N6, which runs through Komani.
Life Healthcare Eastern Cape regional manager Bruce Janssens said the group had built a 24-hour accident and emergency unit, new medical and surgical wards and an intensive care unit (ICU).
The latest addition was a top-class 20 bed paediatric unit.
“This R22.8-million investment expands the paediatric bed capacity from 10 to 20 beds. A further R8-million was used to expand the ICU from a six-bed unit to 10 beds,” he said.
Janssens said an additional operating theatre was being built.
At the end of this month, the hospital would open two renal dialysis stations in the ICU to provide chronic and acute renal dialysis to patients living in and around Komani, he said.
He said Life Renal Dialysis had units at Life East London Private Hospital and Life Mercantile Hospital in Port Elizabeth. The two new stations would allow patients to have their treatment closer to home.
Janssens said the hospital had last year completed a bulk infrastructure upgrade costing R6.2-million.
This included an increase in the hot water storage capacity thanks to three heat pumps, which save electricity.
He said the hospital now had more cold water storage, a bulk oxygen tank and a back-up generator.
“In the past five years Life Healthcare has invested in a complete renovation and upgrade project at [the hospital],” Janssens said.
A further R25-million theatre complex was being erected.
The company had recruited a surgeon and four specialists in the past two years.
He said the hospital had 99 beds, a 24-hour accident and emergency unit and maternity and paediatric units.