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New Acute Injury Unit At Groote Schuur


The transfer of the acute spinal cord injury unit from Conradie Hospital to Groote Schuur promises better service delivery to both patients and staff.

Western Cape Health MEC Meyer said this yesterday, during the official opening of the new unit at Groote Schuur Hospital.

The unit was relocated to Groote Schuur Hospital more than a year ago to combine services and increase capacity; a move the MEC said had saved the provincial government R145 million.

“If we did not move the services, it would have caused us to reconstruct Conradie Hospital because the sewerage system and electricity (connections) were bad,” the MEC said.

Mr Meyer added that his department had ensured the spinal cord unit became an excellent unit for the province to treat patients that had been involved in vehicle accidents, shot or stabbed.

The unit consists of six beds for intensive care and 12 ward beds and forms part of the Health Care 2010, the province’s initiative to make quality healthcare available to all the people of the Western Cape and other provinces.

Already, 162 patients from the Western, Eastern and Northern Cape have been treated at Groote Schuur in just over 11 months.

Facilities at the ASCI unit include a helicopter pad, high technology scanners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers.

“The move to Groote Schuur was done in the best interest of patients because they can get treatment much quicker and they have access to the whole team responsible for the management of patients,” said hospital CEO Norman Maharaj.

Dr Maharaj also said while the hospital would continue to treat acute cases, Rehabilitation services would be soon be done at the new Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre at Lentegeur Hospital.

“The level and quality of care for the patient has improved quite significantly and therefore the chances of recovery are good,” explained Dr Maharaj.

By Seshoane Masitha- BuaNews (Pretoria)NEWS Cape Town

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