More than 2 000 procedures across a number of medical disciplines have been performed at Kimberley Narko Clinic Day Theatre since it first opened its doors a year-and-a-half ago, thereby affirming the considerable need for such a service in the Northern Cape region.
Dr Billyy van der Merwe, managing director of Netcare’s Primary Care Division, of which Medicross is a subsidiary, says that Kimberley Narko Clinic Day Theatre was developed in order to make day surgery more convenient and accessible to patients in the region.
“A few years ago, we identified a great need for a day theatre, or day hospital, service in the greater Kimberley area. The fact that there has been such a great demand for the services offered by the facility has confirmed this view,” says Dr Van der Merwe.
“The day theatre or day hospital concept is becoming increasingly popular not only in South Africa but around the world, with patients particularly appreciating the cost effectiveness, convenience and other benefits of same-day surgery. We have seen the same trend within the Kimberley region and are delighted that this modern facility is benefitting our patients in the Northern Cape.”
According to André van Zyl, the operations manager of Medicross Kimberley and Kimberley Narko Clinic Day Theatre, the state-of-the-art facility has two theatres, a two-bed endoscopic unit and a licence for 18 beds.
“Procedures usually do not last that long. Coming for surgery in an unfamiliar environment away from home and family can be stressful for patients or parents of young patients. Our staff therefore place great emphasis on creating a warm family and child friendly environment to ensure that they are made to feel comfortable and at ease,” points out Van Zyl.
A number of interventional specialists and surgeons perform a comprehensive range of basic and more complex surgeries at the facility. These include general surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, dental surgery, maxillo-facial surgery, ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgery, gynaecological surgery, urological surgery, ophthalmic (eye) surgery, orthopaedic surgery as well as colonoscopies. These are done either under local anaesthesia or, where appropriate, under general anaesthesia.
Kimberley Narko Clinic Day Theatre is operated as part of Kimberley Medicross but has been developed as a stand-alone facility conveniently situated in Du Toitspan Road.
“Having been in operation for 23 years, Medicross Kimberley is a well-established family medical and dental centre, and has a reputation for offering quality primary care to the people of the city and region in a well maintained facility. It was a logical step for us to augment our service offering by making day procedures available to our patients,” says Van Zyl
According to Dr Van der Merwe, Medicross has 15 day theatres situated within the Northern Cape, Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and North West Province.
“Medicross recently opened its latest day theatre in the Northern Cape in Upington, further enhancing our capacity to meet the growing demand for same-day surgery in the region,” he adds.
“Medicross day theatres broaden access to specialist services for South Africans across the country and we aim to continue to strengthen capacity to deliver this critical service to the community,” concludes Dr Van der Merwe.
Kimberley Narko Clinic Day Theatre operates Mondays to Fridays, from 07:00 to 21:00; and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 08:00 to 21:00. For further information please contact Medicross Kimberley on 053 830 4200.
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Issued by: MNA on behalf of Medicross Kimberley
Contact: Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney, Meggan Saville and Estene Lotriet-Vorster
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]