GQEBERHA – Nelson Mandela Bay’s private healthcare sector is set for a major expansion, with construction of the R528 million Baywest Acute Hospital set to begin on 22 October.
In a statement issued ahead of the sod-turning ceremony, Baywest Hospital (Pty) Ltd described the facility as the first new acute hospital to be built in the metro in 41 years.
The new private facility is intended to serve patients from across Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounding areas, including Jeffreys Bay, Humansdorp, Uitenhage and St Francis.
Dr Cameron McIntosh, founder and board member of Baywest Hospital (Pty) Ltd, said the development would help address the need for healthcare infrastructure in the metro.
“Nelson Mandela Bay has world-class clinicians — what it has lacked is world-class infrastructure to keep them here. Today we start building it. This is not simply a new hospital; it is a statement that the Eastern Cape will no longer be the province patients leave to get treated,” he said.
Baywest Hospital chairman Bernard Venter said the development was driven by local doctors and investment.
“This project is the product of local doctors, local investment and a shared belief that Nelson Mandela Bay deserves healthcare of the highest standard, close to home. We are proud to break ground on a facility that will serve this community for generations,” he said.
Around 28 specialists across several disciplines and a further 17 health professionals had invested in the facility.
Specialist services planned
Baywest Acute Hospital will initially open with 120 beds and is licensed for a total of 216.
The second and third phases of development will increase capacity as more specialists sign on, the statement said.
Planned services include a 24-hour emergency and casualty unit, intensive and high care, maternity and gynaecology, paediatrics, general surgery, orthopaedics, neurosurgery and urology.
The facility will also offer nephrology and dialysis, diagnostic imaging, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, physiotherapy and on-site general practitioners.
A dedicated haematology unit will provide stem cell transplantation and specialised isolation facilities. The statement said the service aimed to address a gap in specialist care that currently requires some Eastern Cape patients to travel outside the province for treatment.
Eight operating theatres are planned, with five expected to be operational when the hospital opens. The remaining three will be fitted out as the facility expands, allowing surgical capacity to increase without further construction.
Designed for wellness and sustainablity
Designed by Imbono Architects, Baywest Acute Hospital will feature inpatient rooms overlooking the surrounding natural landscape and an indigenous courtyard garden at the heart of the building.
Visible from all major corridors, the garden is intended to provide a restorative space for patients, families and staff.
Sustainability measures will include solar power generation, rainwater harvesting and water-storage tanks.
The building is designed to maximise natural light to reduce its environmental footprint and running costs, while energy-efficient clinical equipment will support resource-conscious care.
Investment and economic impact
The R528 million development is being funded through R200 million in equity raised, with the balance financed by Investec, according to the statement.
The development is expected to create jobs during construction, as well as permanent employment opportunities once the hospital becomes operational.
Baywest Acute Hospital is being developed at Baywest in Gqeberha by Baywest Hospital (Pty) Ltd. The development is structured through separate operating and property companies, with specialists who are expected to practise at the hospital included among its shareholders.
The company said the hospital aims to provide comprehensive acute and specialist inpatient care to Nelson Mandela Bay and the western Eastern Cape, while retaining clinical skills in the region.
ALSO READ: New R625m military base hospital opens its doors in Gqeberha
