Expansions at Netcare Waterfall City Hospital are nearing completion, with the new facilities expected to be fully operational by the end of August. The hospital is also enhancing its portfolio of specialists to keep up with the increasing healthcare needs of the communities it serves.
The hospital’s general manager, Rolien Kuhne, says that the pace of development in the greater Midrand area has increased the demand for healthcare services, necessitating the need for expansion. Netcare Waterfall City Hospital opened in July 2011 with 126 beds, but is licensed for 200 beds.
“Midrand is one of the 10 fastest growing development nodes in South Africa, along with areas such as Centurion, Fourways and Sunninghill. Netcare Waterfall City Hospital is situated in close proximity to the major highways connecting these areas, and is thus easily accessible to healthcare consumers in the vicinity, many of whom happen to be working in Midrand,” says Kuhne.
“As part of the expansion, we are establishing a specialised orthopaedic and sports centre, together with an additional 36-bed orthopaedic ward. A new 22-bed surgical ward and a 10-bed paediatric intensive care unit will also open,” explains Kuhne.
“Our increased bed capacity opens the door for more specialists to practise at our hospital and accordingly, a further 16 specialists’ consulting rooms have been built,” she says.
National Renal Care, a private dialysis services provider with an existing national network of 53 dedicated dialysis units, is opening a unit at the hospital to serve chronic renal patients, and will, in addition, provide acute renal services to in-hospital patients as needed.
Netcare partnered with Phelang Bonolo Healthcare Solutions to establish the hospital. Both the original hospital building and new extensions have been designed and constructed based on environmentally friendly and sustainable principles. Furthermore, environmentally sustainable technology is employed throughout to minimise the facility’s environmental footprint and ensure optimal use of electricity and water resources.
Netcare Waterfall City Hospital also has an internationally accredited centre of excellence for bariatric surgery, and is home to one of Netcare’s two da Vinci Si centres for robotic-assisted surgery.
Kuhne thanked the community, patients and visitors for their patience and understanding during the hospital’s expansion. “We have tried our level best to minimise the impact on our patients and their loved ones. We believe that this expansion will make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of the greater Midrand community. Our vision is to be the hospital of choice for our community and the additional facilities and capacity will make it possible for us to remain abreast of the needs of the communities we serve.”
In March this year, the hospital received the Netcare Group’s Quality Leadership Award for medium-sized hospitals in the company’s Gauteng South West region, based on year-on-year improvements across a variety of quality indicators.
“When it comes to all-embracing quality healthcare, the people of Midrand and its surrounds need look no further than Netcare Waterfall City Hospital,” concludes Kuhne.
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Issued by: Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare Waterfall City Hospital
Contact: Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney, Sarah Wilson, Meggan Saville
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]