R45 million Hermanus CDC officially opened

The Hermanus Community Day Centre (CDC) was officially opened today by Western Cape Minister of Health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo. The CDC is the first of its kind in the Overstrand sub-district. Since it opened its doors in December last year it has assisted over 55 000 community members.

The Hermanus CDC, replaced four clinics and is now a comprehensive one stop primary healthcare facility for residents from Hermanus, Zwelihle and Mount Pleasant. The CDC has 33 staff members which includes staff from the previous Zwelihle, Mount Pleasant, Hermanus and ARV (Antiretroviral) Clinics as well as new staff members appointed to ensure that the CDC functions optimally.  A doctor and dentist has also been appointed but primary healthcare is a nurse driven service and as such patients will only be referred to the doctor if necessary. The CDC offers the full package of primary health care, e.g. women’s health, child health, mental health, infectious diseases, oral health, rehabilitation services, curative and chronic care.

Western Cape Minister of Health, Dr Nomafrench Mbombo said, “The Western Cape Government is committed to providing quality healthcare services to all in the Western Cape. This Community Day Centre will not only provide essential primary health service to this community, but also to communities in surrounding areas. Access to health service is central to my vision of building healthy, resilient, wellness conscious individuals”

The facility which was designed to be eco-friendly and has been shortlisted for a merit award by the Cape Institute of Architects. The large windows allow optimal utilization of natural light while the floors are made of cement and stones and only require buffing. This sort of thoughtful design will ensure the sustainability of the building as well as minimize the energy consumption and maintenance costs. The total cost of this project including infrastructure and equipment amounts to R45 million.

The CDC also operates on extended hours to ensure that it is accessible for all community members. The operating hours for the Hermanus CDC are:

Monday – Thursday:  07:00 – 18:00

Friday:  07:00 – 16:00