Ceres hospital closes its doors
The 28-bed Netcare Ceres Hospital in the Witzenberg, which has been under the management of the Netcare Group since 1 November 2014, officially closed its doors at the end of October.
DirkTruter, general manager of the hospital, said while a number of enquiries to purchase the hospital had been received, Netcare had been left with little choice but to close the facility.
Trutersaid: “It is with regret that we inform the community of Ceres and surrounding areas that Netcare Ceres Hospital will officially close its doors on Sunday 31 October.
“When we acquired the hospital we anticipated that the demand for private healthcare services in the area would grow.
“However, this demand has not materialised, and we are faced with the reality that there are insufficient private patients to support the viability of the operations at Netcare Ceres Hospital.
“We have engaged with our staff, doctors and other healthcare professionals over the past few months to keep them appraised of the situation. We have also informed the Western Cape Department of Health and they have subsequently acknowledged and accepted our notice of intention to close the hospital,” he noted.
No elective surgery has been performed after Friday 22 October and no patients other than emergency cases have been admitted after Sunday 24 October.
The emergency department closed on 28 October. Patients who were still in hospital on Sunday 24 October, were transferred to another hospital by 28 October. The pharmacy also closed on 28 October.
Until further notice, the radiology practice and Pathcare pathology laboratory will remain operational, and outpatient consultations will continue in the sessional room, but only by appointment. Security, cleaning, and technical services will also continue.
Truter encouraged individuals to find out from their doctors where their practices will be relocating to, and to seek help from emergency medical services providers or other hospitals in the area if needed.
The closest public and private hospitals are:
# Ceres District Hospital (2 km from Netcare Ceres Hospital) Cnr Theron and Rlvlerkant Streets, Ceres. Telephone: 023 316 9600
# Worcester Provincial Hospital (56 km from Netcare Ceres Hospital) Address: Murray Street, Worcester. Telephone: 023 348 1100
# Medlcllnlc Worcester (56 km from Netcare Ceres Hospital) Address: 67 Falrbalrn Street, Worcester. Telephone: 023 348 1500
# Netcare Kulls River (130 km from Netcare Ceres Hospital) Address: 33 Van Riebeeck Road, Kulls River, Cape Town. Telephone: 021 900 6000
Contact numbers for public and private emergency medical services are:
Contact numbers for public and private emergency medical services are:
- Provincial ambulance service: 10177/023 230 1326
- Netcare 911:082 911.
- ER24:084 124
- Priority Care: 071206 0005.
‘We wish to thank the community for their support during the past seven years,” Truter said. ‘We wish things were different, but it was a privilege to have been of service.”