New Hanover Park Community Health Centre in the works

On 5th September, Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness, Mireille Wenger met with City of Cape Town Subcouncil Chairperson Councillor Antonio van der Rheede and Hanover Park community structures, including the Hanover Park Clinic Committee to brief them on the plans for the new Hanover Park Community Health Centre (CHC).

The new Hanover Park Community Health Centre will be an important step in providing high-quality and accessible health services to the growing population in Hanover Park and the surrounding areas.

At the meeting Minister Wenger also explained that once the new CHC is built, the existing CHC in Hanover Park will operate as a Wellness Hub, providing wellness services such as screening and testing, family planning, and immunisation from its current location. It will also be a medication collection point.

Councillor van der Rheede thanked Minister Wenger for the constructive and robust engagement with the community structures, especially around the concerns raised regarding the future of the existing facility.

“Everyone was elated with the state-of-the-art facility that is going to be built for Hanover Park and its surrounding communities,” said Councillor van der Rheede.

Additional community engagements are also being scheduled to address any remaining concerns.

The new CHC will be situated just over a kilometre from the existing facility.

The new CHC will be significantly larger, more accessible, and safer than the existing CHC, and will be purpose-built and well-equipped to provide a higher level of care to the surrounding community.

If all goes according to plan, the new facility will be handed over by the end of 2028.

Benefits of the new CHC:

• The clinical care package offered will include an emergency unit, midwife and obstetrics Unit (MOU), rapid assessment unit, acute unit, chronic care unit, family care unit, x-ray unit, rehabilitation unit, support care unit, pre- and post-natal care, and pharmacy.
• 24 hour/ 7 days per week Emergency Centre and MOU;
• Primary Care services from 07h00-16h00
• It will be able to treat an average of 1124 patients per day.
• On the boundary of Hanover Park, the new CHC location will offer greater accessibility to health services.
• Running along a major transport route with access off Govan Mbeki Road, it will be easily accessible via minibus taxis, buses and the MyCiTi Bus Rapid Transit system.
• The new location will allow easier access to patients from Philippi, Mannenberg, and Landsdowne.
• The plans include robust non-clinical support services such as secure pre-, sub-, and main- waiting areas, public restrooms, reception, more parking, and a records facility.

Minister Wenger said, “We are building new hospitals and clinics for you, our residents, so that we can reduce queues and make sure we can provide quality care for residents when they need it the most.” She said further, “This new state-of-the-art community health centre we have in planning will better serve Hanover Park and surrounding communities, which includes 24/7 emergency care. We are delighted to have the full support of the community to proceed with this project.”