New surgical hospital emergency unit opens
If there is a threat to life or limb, even destitute patients will be stabilised on-site before being transferred to a suitable government facility.
With the new Johannesburg Surgical Hospital in Northcliff opening imminently, the emergency unit is kitted out with all the bells and whistles one would expect from the best international equivalents.
Hospital manager Alex Daneel said, “We are looking to welcome our first patient any day now. It is a very exciting time for us after years of work to get to this point.”
Their emergency unit has 10 general beds, three resuscitation areas and one procedure room.
“Anyone can come here if they are in a life-threatening medical emergency whether they have medical aid or not,” says Daneel.
If a child is in need of emergency care, they will be stabilised here if we are the closest hospital and sent to a facility that caters for paediatric patients. “We currently do not have a paediatric wing, but it is being built.”
The same applies to people without medical aid or the destitute if there is a threat to their life or limb. “We will treat them here and make appropriate arrangements for them to be transferred to a government facility for further treatment.
“People assume because we have the latest technology and medical equipment with designer interiors that we will be able to charge exorbitant fees. That is not the case. We are governed by the national hospital network which has a pricing scale that we must adhere to – meaning we are not more expensive than other private hospitals.
“It is crucial for people to understand what the terms and conditions are of their individual medical aid plans though, as some have preferred service providers, for example, or have certain exclusions.”
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