Cape Town’s Karl Bremer Hospital this year marks its 70th anniversary. Several events are being planned for the remainder of the year to celebrate this significant milestone, and on Friday last week, one of them took place at the nurse’s home where guest speakers reflected on times gone by.

Jonathan Lucas, chief executive of Karl Bremer Hospital, was one of the speakers who explained the rich history behind the hospital and how it has changed over the years.

He described the hospital as one of the Western Cape’s more established and respected hospitals, established in 1956 as an academic hospital for Stellenbosch University.

“It served as the university’s primary foundational teaching and training hospital. Over the years the hospital evolved from its academic roots to become an integral healthcare institution serving people of Bellville and the surrounding communities,” said Lucas.

History

Karl Bremer Hospital first opened its doors in 1956 at a cost — at that time — of 12 million pounds.

“In the same year the hospital was inaugurated as a training hospital for Stellenbosch University’s medical students.”

Over the years the hospital has seen many changes, Lucas said.

“During the 1970s the hospital officially changed its status from academic training hospital, to an ordinary provincial community hospital. During the 1980s the hospital continuously underwent minor renovations to accommodate the growing community with diverse health needs. During the 1990s the hospital faced stormy periods when its very existence became under threat. During the 2000s the hospital officially changed its status from a regional hospital to a district hospital and saw many of its specialists transferred to Tygerberg Hospital. Some calm returned in the next decade, which saw the hospital confirmed itself as a large metro district hospital,” Lucas explained.

During this period a state-of the-art emergency centre was constructed, while a brand new warehouse was also constructed to keep up with the growing supply chain needs. The nurses residence was also completely renovated, said Lucas.

In 2020 the hospital was also on the front-line, managing the Covid-19 outbreak. “The hospital provided screening, testing, treatment and care to thousands of Covid-19 patients. It was also one of the first hospitals to roll-out the Covid-19 vaccinations.”

Operations

Lucas said to date the hospital manages a budget of over R650 million, has 311 in-patient care beds and 809 funded posts.

“It has increased its medical specialists pool with additions to emergency physicians, paediatricians and orthopedic specialists.”

Lucas also said that the hospital has strengthened its clinical therapy services, corporate admin and support services, and is looking forward to strengthening its surgical services offering, which will soon welcome a permanent anaesthetist to its pool.

“The hospital looks forward to the refurbishment of the main hospital as well as the planned new acute psychiatric unit that will be added to the hospital in the future,” said Lucas.

Despite the day-to-day challenges such as service pressures, resource constraints and infrastructure maintenance issues, he said, the hospital is proud to be a hospital of choice for many underprivileged people.

“During the past financial year, the hospital has admitted over 27 000 patients, delivered newborn babies, performed over 7 000 surgical operations and provided patient care to more than 2 000 patients, and emergency care to over 34 000 patients. We are a hospital that is firmly embedded, our foundations remain and we care for people,” said Lucas.

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