its doors
20 February 2009
The long-awaited Port Alfred Private Public Partnership Hospital has finally
opened its doors to the public today.
"Even though the hospital opened well ahead of schedule it was not a moment
too soon for the local community that has waited so long for this happy day,"
said the honourable Ms Pemmy Majodina, MEC for Health of the Eastern Cape
Province during her opening address.
She added that the success of this private public partnership model was a
tribute to the power of participation and unity that serves the nation and its
people so well. "I am both proud and delighted to open this hospital which is a
beacon of hope to us all and an inspiration to the greater South African
healthcare industry."
"The Port Alfred Private Public Partnership Hospital will truly benefit the
local community - not only by providing healthcare beyond the bare minimum, but
also through the provision of jobs and business opportunities. The long-term
development of the region has already been boosted substantially because of the
purchasing of construction materials. The ongoing procurement of 'soft
services', which is expected to exceed R600 million over the operational period
of the project, will ensure a continued benefit for the community for many
years to come," she said.
According to Ms Majodina the most exciting part of the Port Alfred Hospital
is the fact that the hospital features public and private facilities side by
side. She went on to explain that the construction activities at the hospital
formed part of a close collaborative effort between the Eastern Cape Department
of Health and (ECDoH) a private consortium consisting of Nalithemba Hospitals
(Pty) Ltd and Netcare Limited.
"It is a Private Public Partnership (PPP) as part of which the private
consortium will be responsible for managing both the private and public
hospital facilities for 15 years after the construction has been completed,"
she added.
Commenting on the opening of the hospital Professor Mike Magwa, Chairman of
Nalithemba Hospitals said that two of the main objectives of the project were
to enhance patient flow and service delivery at the hospital. "We wanted to
ensure that the facilities are as user-friendly as possible and that it would
be able to support modern healthcare services."
He added that the Port Alfred Hospital had to be rebuilt in its entirety as
the hospital was originally situated in a low-lying area that frequently
experienced flooding. "The new Port Alfred Private Public Hospital includes a
new theatre block with an additional theatre, an extended radiology facility,
improved access to the hospital as well as a new reception and waiting areas.
State-of-the-art medical equipment was also installed at the hospital and the
hospital includes a four-bed maternity ward and a 26-bed general ward. It will
provide a full range of hospital services to private patients who, until now,
had to travel to either East London or Port Elizabeth to avail themselves of
private healthcare services," said Prof Magwa.
During its pre-opening inspection the hospital drew high praise from
representatives of both the Department of Health (DoH) and the Board of
Healthcare Funders.
Dr Richard Friedland, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Netcare Limited said
that the hospital truly raised the bar in terms of the provision of healthcare
services in the surrounding areas. He said that the new hospital and the
collaborative nature of the project had everyone within Netcare excited. "The
hospital has already received widespread interest from medical specialists who
would like to make use of its well-equipped facilities. Good news for the
community of the greater Port Alfred area is that we have created 75 full time
positions within the hospital while contracted external service providers have
created many more opportunities. As the demand for the hospital's services
increase, so too will the number of jobs created."
Friedland said that Netcare was a strong proponent of Private Public
Partnership (PPP) models. He outlined how this particular project could assist
the people of the Eastern Cape: "This project presents many advantages for the
communities surrounding the hospital, the most obvious being improved access to
enhanced medical treatment in their immediate area. It means that patients in
need would not have to travel for specialist care to one of the larger city
centres as they will have access to healthcare facilities closer to home."
"PPPs endeavour to improve healthcare delivery beyond the bare minimum while
leveraging the empowerment opportunities arising from the expenditure. Through
this PPP empowerment in the Eastern Cape Province will be boosted
substantially. As much as 40 percent of the construction and 50 percent of the
ongoing operational expenditure has and will continue going to black people
and/or enterprises."
He added that a minimum of 50 percent of the shareholding in the consortium
was held by local and black people and that this would continue being the case
during the 15-year duration of the project. Black women comprise a percentage
of the management of both the private party and their key subcontractors.
Friedland concluded: "In PPPs such as these, great emphasis is placed on
skills transfer and embedding management and clinical policies that ensure the
upkeep of the quality of care delivered. We believe that by being able to share
our expertise with the local government and people of these communities, we
will make a truly valuable contribution to the health and wellbeing of the
Eastern Cape whilst helping to promote sustainable economic development."
For further information please contact:
Martina Nicholson
Tel: 011 469 3016
Cell: 083 631 6647
E-mail: martina@mnapr.co.za
Vusi Ndabeni
Cell: 083 3780 969
Issued by: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government and
Nalithemba Hospitals and Netcare Limited
20 February 2009
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoh.gov.za)
