Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital has started their year-long celebrations, commemorating its 10 year anniversary.
With construction officially starting in 2010, the building was officially handed over and commissioned in 2013, with the first patients being treated in July of that year.
On Friday 14 April, hospital staff and management hosted a commemorative event at the hospital, with past and present staff who have been with the hospital since its inception.
Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Evan Swart says: “I am proud to be part of a team that is constantly finding innovative ways to improve healthcare services, has a good culture, and is building and strengthening relationships with the community for the benefit of improving our services. I am looking forward to improving healthcare services for the next ten years and supporting the team in finding ways to decrease the service pressure and burden of disease in the community.”
Swart says it was important for the hospital management and board to kick off the celebrations at the start of the financial year (April) and that it would be followed by several others. He further encouraged staff to incorporate this milestone in all future celebrations and commemorative programmes.
Swart paid special homage to the staff of the hospital. Past, present, those who have moved on to other positions and those who have passed away.
“It is a family, togetherness and support, standing up for each other. Advocating very hard for the patients and the community. It is a big part of what has seen us through the Covid-19 pandemic and will be a big part of seeing us through the next 10, 20, 30 years.”
Swart says while the hospital is still quite junior to its sister hospitals, they have grown to meet the needs of the surrounding community, including specialist services.
This has enabled the hospital to be at the forefront of medicine in the province, with innovation developed at the hospital implemented at other hospitals.
The hospital commissioned 290 beds and increased its bed capacity currently to 395 beds. On average the hospital’s emergency centre treats 4 500 patients per month, with around 30 medical admissions per day.
According to the health and wellness spokesperson for the Klipfontein Mitchell’s Plain Substructure (KMPSS), Monique Johnstone, the need for district-level and specialist healthcare services in the community was in demand.
“People were referred and transferred to other healthcare facilities in the Cape Metro. At the time (10 years ago), Mitchell’s Plain Community Health Centre was one of the busiest clinics providing primary healthcare services to the community To cater to the growing community and demand for healthcare services, Western Cape Government Health and Wellness opened the Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital in 2013.”
The hospital has 800 employees and caters to the greater Mitchell’s Plain and surrounding areas.
Many of the staff compliment is also from the GF Jooste Hospital, which operated from the Athlone basin.
“When Jooste Hospital closed, staff moved to work at Mitchell’s Plain Hospital and the Heideveld Emergency Centre based on the grounds of the Heideveld Community Day Centre. The Heideveld Emergency Centre (HEC) which offers emergency services to the surrounding communities, is managed by Mitchell’s Plain Hospital and was opened in June 2014.”
The hospital treats several conditions, with some of the most common ones being chronic illnesses, TB/HIV, mental health related to substance abuse, interpersonal violence and gender-based violence and malnutrition in adults and children due to poverty.
Reverend Franklin Williams, hospital board chair and first chaplain of the hospital says it is an honour to be associated with the hospital.
“This hospital has been a blessing to the area of Mitchell’s Plain and surrounds. As the first, and current chaplain of the hospital, I have had many experiences at the hospital, praying for people who have lost the spirit of life, some who are very sick, and those who have lost loved ones in the hospital. I have also officiated a few pauper burial funerals in the hospital, able to give families closure and comfort. We sadly also lost triplets and the mother and father got closure,” he says.
Williams was also one of the first Covid-19 champions and admits the hospital has its share of ups and downs, both good and bad.
Retired nursing manager Aletta Brown who had been part of the hospital project from the initial construction stages says it was a long journey filled with challenges.
“There are heroes here today. People that worked 24/7 to get this project running,” she says. “When people say funny things about this hospital, it makes me think back, ‘if only you knew how hard we worked’. When we opened we had so much criticism, we were the worst hospital.”
This perception has since changed, she says, with introductions of various services, including a paediatric triage area as one of the highlights.
Dr Giovanni Perez, Chief Director: Metro Health Services for Western Cape Government Health and Wellness thanked every staff member for the role they had played in getting the hospital to this point.
“This hospital started with many saying it would not last a year or two years or three years and we are here standing 10 years later,” he says.
Patti Olckers, director of KMPSS says: “We have come such a long way and we have actually exceeded expectations. This is what we said we would do and we have done it quite well. It’s lovely to feel the spirit that is here.”
