New Hanover Park Community Health Centre to enhance healthcare services by 2028

• A new community healthcare centre in Hanover Park is set to open by 2028.
• The new centre will replace the existing one, which will remain open as a Wellness Hub.
• Community engagement has been central to planning.

Following extensive engagements, Hanover Park will have a new community healthcare facility by 2028.

At the beginning of September, Western Cape Minister of Health and Wellness Mireille Wenger met with Subcouncil 11 chair and Ward 47 councillor Antonio van der Rheede and Hanover Park community structures, including the Hanover Park Clinic Committee, to brief them on the new plans for the new Hanover Park Community Health Centre (CHC).

Located in Govan Mbeki Drive, the new state-of-the-art facility will be located just 1 km from the existing facility and will offer easier access to patients from Lansdowne, Manenberg and Philippi.

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According to Monique Johnstone, spokesperson for the Klipfontein Mitchells Plain Substructure (KMPSS) in the department, the current facility already services the greater Athlone area, including parts of Philippi, Manenberg, Crawford and Lansdowne.

Wenger said the new facility would be an important step in providing high-quality and accessible health services to the growing population in Hanover Park and the surrounding areas.

While the completion of the new building will see a shift in services, the current facility will operate as a Wellness Hub, providing wellness services such as screening and testing, family planning and immunisation from its current location.

It will also be a medication collection point.

An artist’s impression of the new facility.

Community engagement

Van der Rheede said he was pleased about the positive engagements during these discussions and was happy the existing facility would not just be kept open, but a brand-new facility would be provided.

“I have echoed what some of the challenges or concerns were to the ministry.

“And I must say there was a lot of positive engagement with the new minister and very fruitful discussions. I also facilitated a discussion between the minister and the elected health committee members and the ward committee sectors.

“The discussion we had was very constructive because to a great extent, the needs of our most vulnerable sectors, which was the elderly, were taken into consideration because those were some of the concerns that were raised the most. And, these concerns were then heeded.”

Additional community engagements are also scheduled to address any remaining concerns.

In a statement, Wenger said the new CHC will be significantly larger, more accessible and safer than the existing CHC. It will be purpose-built and well-equipped to provide a higher level of care to the surrounding communities.

“The clinical-care package offered will include an emergency unit, midwife and obstetrics Unit (MOU), rapid assessment unit, acute unit, chronic-care unit, family-care unit, x-ray unit, rehabilitation unit, support-care unit, pre- and post-natal care, and pharmacy,” reads the statement.

At the first announcement of the new CHC, concerns were raised in a protest in the area.

Van der Rheede said: 

Western Cape Minister of health and wellness Mirelle Wenger and Ward 47 councillor and Subcouncil 11 chair Antonio van der Rheede.

Transport

Situated along what will soon include more accessible transport with the nearby inclusion of the MyCiTi infrastructure is another positive.

“The Integrated Rapid Transit (IRT) system is coming through Hanover Park, so that will take care of the feeder routes through Hanover Park,” says Van der Rheede.

With the community engagements, residents will be able to engage on the build. Sketches, renders and other information will also be available. A date has not yet been confirmed.

The existing facility was opened between the late 70s and early 80s, says Johnstone and services around 16 000 patients per month.

“This includes people accessing services at the facility, outreaches conducted by staff, and our offsite chronic dispensing units in the area. It is importance to add that these figures include our outreaches, in facility treatment, and offsite chronic medication collection facilities,” she says.

Wenger says the new facility will operate a 24/7 emergency centre with primary care services remaining in the same time frame of 07:00 to 16:00.

It will be able to treat an average of 1 124 patients per day.

“On the boundary of Hanover Park, the new CHC location will offer greater accessibility to health services. Running along a major transport route with access off Govan Mbeki Road, it will be easily accessible via minibus taxis, buses and the MyCiTi Bus Rapid Transit system,” reads the statement.

The plans include robust non-clinical support services such as secure pre-, sub-, and main- waiting areas, public restrooms, reception, more parking, and a records facility.

Wenger concludes: 

“We are delighted to have the full support of the community to proceed with this project.”