Amongst the dignitaries were Prof Craig Househam (Head of the Department of Health of the Western Cape), Georlene Wolmarans (Knysna’s Executive Mayor) and Theuns Botha (Minister of Health Western Cape) as well as patients and staff.
“This is an expensive facility that cost a lot of taxpayers’ money. Please look after it,” said Househam, in his welcoming address. And, indeed, the new EC did cost a lot of money. At a cost of R37.7 million the EC boasts a modern design and contemporary layout and guarantees an improvement to services, quality of care and improved patient experience. According to Nadia Ferreira, Principal Communications Officer, the upgrade took five years to complete.
“The new EC and admissions [station] has been upgraded from a four-bed unit to a 14-bed unit with dedicated service areas. This new 160m2 addition consist of a three-cot rehydration unit, a four-bed nebulisation unit, a two-bed resuscitation unit, a five-bed major ward and a four-bed overnight/minors ward. The separate triage and three-room consultations’ area front room, as well as the isolation room and safety observation room, fracture unit and decontamination units is a vast improvement over the previous one-room approach,” said Ferreira.
She added that the initial design took place in 2009, “but since then the plan had gone through various development phases. The final and most dramatic changes came in 2010/11 and were a result of a departmental focus on emergency centres, looking at improved patient flow and quality in patient services and their functionality. The Acute Emergency Case Load Policy (AECLP) was developed, various patient flow workshops were held, equipment was updated and standardised, waiting time audits were designed and training ensued.”
In his keynote address the Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, said “we have formed a partnership with the municipality for a more healthy society, because local government plays a major role in creating a healthy well-being of its society members”.
Botha stated furthermore that “the Western Cape Government has invested an unprecedented R2,7 billion in health infrastructure across the province over the last five years, of which new infrastructure includes seven clinics and community day centres, seven EMS stations, five forensic pathology laboratories and two district hospitals. Modernising the infrastructure and provision of world class facilities has played an important role in improving the work environment for staff and improving the quality of care patients receive. In the Eden District over the past five years the department completed 12 capital projects at a total expenditure of R218 million. Of the 12 facilities, three are new - the George Hospital Forensic Pathology Laboratory, Kwanokuthula Community Day Centre and an ambulance station and the Knysna Witlokasie Clinic.
“Knysna Hospital (90-bed, level 1 facility) serves two sub-districts namely Knysna sub-district (population of 69 000) and Bitou sub-district (population of 49 000). The town of Knysna, with its population growth rate of 2,77%, experiences a proportional rate of growth in its casualty patient headcount. This town has the highest population density per km2 in the Eden District, which accounts for many of the burdens of disease challenges seen, for example the highest tuberculosis and HIV incidence rate in the district and amongst the highest in the province. Bitou on the other hand is the fastest growing sub-district in Eden with an average growth rate of 5.22,” said Botha.
In closing, Sister Gail Lloyd (Deputy Director of Nursing, Knysna Hospital) said that the opening was a “truly remarkable day” and that, “from a one-horse town 36 years ago, Knysna is now a buzzing metropole. The new centre has set a benchmark for all other hospitals to follow.”
Unveiling the plaque of Knysna's new Emergency Centre at the Provincial Hospital.
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