EDITOR – Over 200 years ago the German writer Goethe expressed the concern that ‘the modern world might turn into one giant medical institution’. If we look at the private hospitals on the Berea his fears are being realised.
Each of the major hospitals has become a sort of cancer consuming its immediate neighbourhood, either by direct expansion or by spawning related medical facilities which mistakenly demand to be close by.
In terms of the mission statements of the large companies who run and develop these hospitals – this is so that they ’can become world-class facilities’. This cancerous growth means that the original site and buildings are inadequate for such ‘world-class’ status and have to be continually expanded and grow upwards and outwards into the surrounding (usually) residential areas. This has a severe impact on what old town planners used to describe as ‘amenity’. No longer are these areas quiet residential ones. Now there is constant noise, increasing and invasive traffic and over-taxed street parking – St Augustine’s does not even have its own proper service/delivery area so all this has to take place in JB Marks (Chelmsford) Road.
And construction goes on night and day with hospital and construction managers apparently oblivious of building regulations. And seemingly this all has the blessings of the development control and town planning officials of the City who appear unable to say ‘that is enough.’
Professor Brian Kearney
Glenwood
*Letter shortened – Editor
ALSO READ: Back to the drawing board for St Augustine Hospital’s parking plans
Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital general manager Heinrich Venter responds:
Since its establishment in 1894 to serve the then small community in the Berea area, our hospital has indeed expanded to keep pace with the increased demand by the growing community for quality healthcare services.
This has understandably brought about an increase in traffic volumes into the area as people come for consultations with specialists and family members and friends visit patients in hospital, and is also putting pressure on the parking available to them.
We sincerely apologise to residents in the vicinity who may find the traffic and the noise it generates intrusive. We are addressing the shortage in parking as part of our current construction project which includes the development of a new covered parking garage to meet future demands and is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. To alleviate the street parking problem in the interim, we are engaged in consultations with the local councillor and municipality regarding the possible temporary use of a portion of Meyrick Bennett Park, with the undertaking that we will return the park to the community in its current condition once our new parking garage has been opened.
We thank your readers for bringing their concern regarding JB Marks Road being used for deliveries to the hospital to our attention. We do in fact have dedicated delivery zones inside the hospital grounds and on Clark Road in order to limit the impact on the surrounding community. We are not aware of deliveries to our facility made from JB Marks Road and will make a point of monitoring activity there, so that we can re-direct delivery trucks to our dedicated delivery zones should they attempt to make deliveries from there.
The construction work currently underway at the hospital is being carried out Mondays to Saturdays from 6am to 6pm. We realise that the work to upgrade our facility and enhance our services may cause some disruption to the community in the immediate vicinity as well as to our patients and visitors. Where necessity may dictate that construction takes place outside of these times, we need to apply for a permit from the city council in line with relevant regulations.
We are grateful for the understanding and on-going support we have received from our community so far, and we apologise for any disruption or increased noise during this phase of the project.
*Reply shortened – Editor
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