Heideveld Emergency Centre Preparing To Open On Monday

The new Heideveld Emergency Centre at the Heideveld Community Day Centre will open on Monday, 7 July. The last units at GF Jooste Hospital that were still functional, namely  the emergency centre, the Thutuzela rape assist centre and a 30-bed overnight ward – also  closed this week and will be transferred to the new Heideveld EC.

Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, inspected the site today ahead of its opening on Monday. He was accompanied by the chairperson of the GF Jooste Hospital facility board, and the Mitchell’s Plain Hospital facility board, Mrs Mercia Isaacs.   

The Heideveld Community Day Centre was due for the routine repairs and renovations in 2013. However, with the closure of the current GF Jooste Hospital (which will be replaced with a new hospital in 2018/19) , the renovations were extended to the construction of an Emergency Centre at a project budget of R38 million. The EC will have a functional triage centre, a Thuthuzela rape crisis centre and an upgraded pharmacy.

Construction to the emergency centre started in August 2013 and there is still some minor finishing touches to be done to the building.

Renovations to the Heideveld Community Day Centre include the upgrade of staff amenities and the replacement of floors and ceilings in certain parts of the facility.
No services have been compromised during this renovation period.

To date GF Jooste Hospital attended to approximately 1600 patients per month, and the the same amount of patients is expected to be treated at the Heideveld Emergency Centre. Services offered will also remain the same, including x-rays, a 30-bed overnight ward and 4 emergency beds.

The emergency centre will be staffed with staff from GF Jooste Hospital including:
• 37 medical practitioners
• 10 medical specialists
• 12 nursing assistants
• 13 professional nurses
• 2 physiotherapists
• 1 pharmacist

Visiting hours will remain from 14:00 till 16:00 and 19:00 till 20:00. The landline number remains 021 690 1000.

It is envisaged that the on-site work at the new GF Jooste Hospital will  begin during 2015/ 2016 and be completed in 2018/19.  The replacement of GF Jooste Hospital at R785 million is one of the most significant capital investments the Western Cape is making in this five-year term.