Outcry over Netcare’s decision to shut paediatric and maternity services at Ballito hospital

Protest action and a petition campaign have formed part of a fight by Ballito residents against the closure of overnight paediatric, neonatal and maternity facilities at the town’s private hospital.

Netcare announced the “resource-intensive overnight paediatric and neonatal intensive care unit as well as obstetric facilities” at Alberlito Hospital will be closed because of dwindling demand, sparking an outcry in the upmarket KwaZulu-Natal north coast town.

Specialist doctors affected have been offered practising privileges at other Netcare facilities.

“We will also do our utmost to ensure alternative consulting rooms for those specialists affected in office spaces close to the hospital,” said Sara Nayager, manager of Netcare’s KZN hospital division.

“The hospital’s emergency department will continue to welcome children and families and care for their urgent medical needs, and paediatric day procedures will remain in place.”

Netcare intends to replace the maternity, neonatal and paediatric units with an 80-bed mental health service for adolescents and adults in that space, saying such a facility is in short supply.

Concerned residents staged a protest outside the hospital on Thursday to  demonstrate against the decision.

While the affected doctors did not respond to questions, residents told TimesLIVE the decision would have a major impact on their lives.

Shan Fourie, a mother of three who started the petition, said: “The impact is so far-reaching. The paediatricians and gynaecologists have become part of our families. They have helped us in our biggest and scariest moments as parents. For them to be cast out by Netcare breaks our hearts as a community who care as deeply for these doctors as they do for our children.

“The Dolphin Coast is growing on a weekly basis, with estate living a huge drawcard for young families. There are people who drive from far up the north coast to visit the facilities and to say the closest one to us would be Umhlanga is just ludicrous when we are talking about our most vulnerable members of the population, our children.”

The closest state hospital is in KwaDukuza.

Fourie said more than 11,000 signatures have been collected.

“We have been blessed to have had the peace of mind knowing we had such excellent specialists in our community, and it’s hard to imagine no longer having them a few minutes away in case of emergency.

“We are a close-knit community who have stood together through riots and floods, and we will stand together once more to protect our community.”

Local teacher and resident Sarah Berlyn said: “Many of the doctors have walked the most difficult paths with their patients at times when they are at their most vulnerable. Paths of infertility, offering hope to expectant families, and nursing and caring for their sick children.

“It seems completely unfair Netcare would not realise the value of these people and the roles they serve in our community. Buildings can easily be replaced, but it is the people who make the heart of their hospital.

“Ballito gained popularity as the place for young people to move, a place that is child-centred and offers children and families some of the best services in the country. It would seem Netcare has not realised the potential customer base that lies in our town. Instead of embracing this, and working with the community, they have severed a vital lifeline for children and pregnant mothers.”

Netcare’s Nayager said more than 80% of the care provided to paediatric patients at Alberlito will be “unaffected by the changes planned to commence in May next year”.

“The emergency department at the hospital is well positioned to handle emergencies across the board,” she said.

“The lower paediatric admissions in our facilities reflect global trends towards treating children on an outpatient basis wherever possible and speaks to ethical paediatric practice as opposed to over-servicing.

“Netcare has been subsidising these unsustainable units for years to keep the hospital afloat and continue providing healthcare at this facility. After many attempts to make the units more sustainable over the years, including discussions with doctors and other stakeholders, we were forced to consider the impact this scenario is having on the overall sustainability of the hospital, which has been running at a loss over many years due, in part, to these underperforming and resource-intensive units.

“The jobs of our 342 Netcare and support staff members are being placed in jeopardy because these services are not sustainable.”

What is changing from May 2023:

• With the KZN health department’s approval, the maternity, neonatal and paediatric units on the second floor of Netcare Alberlito Hospital will be replaced with mental health services for adolescents and adults.
• Mothers delivering in the emergency department and their babies will be transferred to another suitable hospital once they are stable.
• Of the child patients cared for at Netcare Alberlito Hospital, fewer than 20% require overnight admission.

TimesLIVE

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