South African property investor and developer, Atterbury, has introduced a landmark new medical development to its prestigious mixed-use Pretoria precinct, The Club.
Club Surgical Centre, a state-of-the-art day hospital that offers cutting-edge treatment in skin cancer, cosmetic, ear-nose-and-throat, and spinal surgery, began helping patients this month.
Fully operational from 9 April, the Club Surgical Centre development is revolutionary and was shaped by its specialists together with Atterbury.
The centre is groundbreaking in that it has been crafted based on leading-edge world trends in day case surgery. The centre’s co-founders, Dr Japie de Wet and Dr Pieter du Plessis, have acquired unique skills to pioneer the only multidisciplinary unit of this kind in South Africa. When setting up a modern skin cancer management programme in 2012, the centre’s partners identified the need for a custom facility tailored to modern trends in day surgery.
Atterbury helped the partners find the right location and together they navigated statutory applications, licences and compliance requirements. And, as the project gained momentum, they realised the demand for this kind of surgical facility was much wider than originally anticipated.
Day case surgery is becoming the norm in First World countries, with one in three surgical procedures taking place in such units. In South Africa, the current rate is about one in 12.
Louis van der Watt, CEO of Atterbury, says: “Club Surgical Centre is a true asset to the community of Pretoria, the specialists operating here are all extremely well-known, not only in Pretoria but countrywide. We are excited to have expert medical professionals of this calibre choose The Club precinct for their pioneering new unit.”
There are three key surgical specialities in the facility. Its founding doctors are skin cancer specialists. They were approached by two further groups of specialists who identified the need for a similar niche facility in their respective fields.
Dr Nisius du Plessis, Dr Jannie Kok, Dr Kobus Venter and Dr Janet Izeboud have established a Centre of Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery at Club Surgery Centre. Similarly, Dr Louis Nel has established a unit for spinal day case surgery and Club Surgical Centre will also become the diagnostic hub of Spine Africa, a multidisciplinary group of different surgical and non-surgical specialities focusing only on the diagnosis and treatment of spinal problems. Spine specialist, Dr Louis Nel, explains this facility is so attractive because it brings together a group of spine specialists who share resources and equipment – and with less duplication comes more cost-effectiveness.
The fully-let 4 800sqm Club Surgical Centre’s interior is designed to offer the calming experience of a modern lounge, which soothes the clinical hospital environment.
On the ground floor is an exciting new-format Dis-Chem pharmacy. The specialist store spans around 760sqm, which is more compact and focused than the popular brand’s typical store.
The Club Dis-Chem’s offering has been carefully tailored to cater for customers living in the immediate area. Although smaller than usual, it still provides the Dis-Chem experience that customers have come to know and love.
In this specialist medical environment, and exceptional pharmacy was a ‘no-brainer’, and Johan Roets of Atterbury retail leasing explains that space was earmarked for Dis-Chem from the start. It meant, though, that Dis-Chem had to create a smaller, tailor-made model to match the space available and to meet the needs of its customers in this market.
Roets says: “Dis-Chem was selected for this development as the perfect match for the day hospital and its medical presence, as well as for its own strong pulling power. We know they will be a great asset to the entire Club precinct.”
Moving through the Club Surgical Centre, the consulting rooms are on the first and second floor. Burger Radiologists’ state-of-the-art radiology suite, with the first standing MRI scanner in Africa, is on the first floor. Ampath pathologists are on the second floor, and the top floor comprises the day hospital.
All this is complemented by generous open and basement parking, as well as its superb location within Atterbury’s iconic live-work-play precinct development, making it ideal for patients from all over the country.
The Club Surgery Centre is destined to become a medical landmark in Pretoria. And the founding doctors already have the coveted status as one of the only accredited training facilities in mohs micrographic skin-cancer surgery, outside the USA. This makes the centre exceptional and creates a professional legacy that will benefit a multitude of patients across the spectrum.
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