ObGyn society blasts Netcare’s move to end maternity service at Ballito hospital

The SA Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (Sasog) has hit out at Netcare’s decision to shut maternity facilities at its private Ballito facility, accusing the hospital group of having an “apparent lack of regard” for the community.

Sasog believes with Ballito being one of the fastest-growing towns in SA, the demand for maternity services at Alberlito Hospital is likely to increase in the future and does not warrant the closure of this resource.

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

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

“The five ObGyn specialists and four paediatricians with practices at Alberlito Hospital have been informed that their leases will not be renewed in January 2023 and that they must vacate their consulting rooms by the end of April 2023,” said Sasog president Dr Haynes van der Merwe.

He said according to the specialists practising at Alberlito, 327 births occurred over the past year alone, 62 of which were vaginal deliveries and 265 caesarean section births.”

He said Sasog also refuted Netcare’s viewpoint that patient demand and growing community needs would be better served through the shift in focus by Netcare. 

“While SA’s birth rate has declined slightly over the last eight years, according to the recently published ‘Africa Wealth Report’, Durban and Umhlanga are in the top five wealthiest cities in Africa, and Umhlanga and Ballito are two of the fastest-growing towns in SA. The demand for maternity services could therefore be expected to increase in the years to come in this particular area,” said Van der Merwe.

“These five ObGyn specialists are dedicated to this community and are seeking ways to maintain services. We believe that children and pregnant woman should always have access to community-based healthcare. This decision will affect the children and pregnant woman who live in Ballito and will have a negative impact on the livelihood of most of these clinicians and their staff.”

Concerned Ballito residents staged a protest outside the hospital in October and started a petition campaign to fight the closure.

After a recent meeting with the affected doctors, Netcare said a dedicated paediatric ward, with fewer beds, would remain in place. It said neonatal and birthing facilities would be available until June 2023. From July 1, the service would be terminated.

“Netcare has indicated it would be willing to transfer the required licence to a separate, independent facility, subject to approval from the department of health,” it said, adding that patients with obstetric emergencies would be stabilised and transferred to hospitals with suitable obstetric units.

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