A permanent comprehensive Hout Bay Community Day Centre has been in planning for over eight years due to the small, outdated facility at Hangberg. After multiple community engagements and complex site technicalities the Bowling Green site procurement is commencing between Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) and the City of Cape Town.
A modern, purpose-built health facility will be built within a three to five-year horizon depending on infrastructure delivery processes.
Over the past two years, facility-based health service delivery has been disrupted on ten separate occasions when spontaneous and planned community protests on real socio-economic challenges have resulted in road closures, vandalism and violent conflict in the Hangberg area.
Staff and patients have both experienced growing anxiety around personal safety at their workplace when caught in the cross-fire of increasing unpredictability and escalation in conflict intensity over housing and other community issues. It is recognised that protests have never been directed at the health facility or its staff members. Under current circumstances, there is no guarantee of safety of staff at work and patients who are in the facility when these often unpredictable protests eventuate.
The Department of Health is trying everything within its power to ensure that continued health service delivery takes place, even though the Hangberg health facility has closed. An interim continued health service delivery has been made possible through multiple different mechanisms which together offer a primary health care package offered at the facility, with expansion of community-oriented primary care (COPC).
Interim health services for Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu residents:
This interim alternative PHC service delivery model is a short-term intervention until a Temporary Hout Bay CDC site and venue is finalised.
Senior DOH and DTPW officials are working at confirming a venue for relocation of all facility-based PHC services so that uninterrupted facility-based services can be rendered while the permanent Hout Bay CDC at Bowling Green is constructed.
As soon as the Temporary Hout Bay CDC location and details are confirmed and lease is signed, further public communication and engagement can follow.The DOH apologises sincerely for the inconvenience generated by the alternative health service delivery model, however commits itself to the most rapid resolution of the current situation through mobilising all partners and available resources.
Natalie Watlington
Principal Communications Officer: Southern Western Sub-structures
Department of Health
Western Cape Government
Address: Southern and Western Sub Structure Office: Cnr White and Main Roads, Retreat
Tel: 021 202 0947
Mobile: 081 277 0516
Website: www.westerncape.gov.za