Bokamoso Private Hospital
Hi-Tech Hospital Picks Medical Health Up a Few Notches…
Seizing the opportunity, the Public Officers’ Medical Aid Scheme (BPOMAS) and Pula Medical Aid Fund Trust (PULA) engaged in a joint venture to build a hi-tech hospital in order to meet the medical demands of all paying patients.
Previously these bodies relied on other medical institutions to care for their clients, but decided that in order to really give the organizations value for their money they would have to build their own hospital. Furthermore, BPOMAS and PULA then formed the non-profit Bokamoso Private Hospital Trust Fund (BPHT) to facilitate and own their development.
To begin materializing this concept, BPHT collaborated with two American institutions, namely ORI International and Vanderbilt University, to provide technical support for the development of the hospital, equipment and personnel, and its operations.
Once having gone through all the necessary procedures and ultimately acquiring the land, BPHT put together a team of skilled and experienced consultants from Botswana and South Africa to assist in the development. This new state-of-the-art hospital was to meet the best local and international standards.
One of life’s basic necessities, health care, is being taken to another level with the completion of the new Bokamoso Private Hospital. Previously, despite many clients paying out lots of money for medical cover the health care provision in Botswana was not up to par. This was evident from the large number of people having to travel to neighboring South Africa to get more specialized medical services. The reason for this was the lack of specialized doctors as well as lack of the necessary equipment.
The construction of the new Bokamoso Private Hospital in Metsimotlhabe, ……kilometers from Gaborone commenced in March 2008 and was complete in November 2009. The P700 million hospital is located alongside the Gaborone - Molepolole road. The hospital recruited 275 employees who underwent orientation as well as pre-training prior to the launch at the beginning of January 2010.
Design Concept
As reported by Mr. James Pickle, the hospital Chief Operating Officer (COO), once the hospital is fully functional it will have 330 beds. He said “Bokamoso is a 300 bed hospital, starting with 200, along with a 30 bed rehabilitation centre. So all in all when the hospital is fully operational we will have 330 beds” addressing the media at the hospital tour.
The hospital has 10 Operating Rooms and Procedure Rooms with provision made for additional ones. An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and a Critical Car Unit is located between the surgical and medical wards, allowing expansion into these wards as high-care beds. A full Accident and Emergency Unit (A&E), Radiology Unit, Pathology Labs, Chemo-therapy Unit, Renal Analysis Unit and an Outpatient department form part of the Ambulatory Patient Care Unit. An open-air courtyard occupies a central and prominent location of the hospital.
To reflect Botswanas culture, the design is intended to bring in openness and outdoor light into the courtyard. This very courtyard acts as a sanctuary and a place of relaxation for patients and staff as well as visitors. Since the hospital has human resource (HR) and technology capability for student training, the design has also accommodated training facilities.
The main circulation corridors are located on two levels around this courtyard. The ground level accommodates the ambulatory therapy units, clinical facilities and services, while the upper level houses the patient care wards and student training facilities.
The wards are “L” shaped with the entrance and nurse’s station in the bottom corner of the “L” and the patient’s rooms evenly spread long the two wings of the “L”. This design allows for visual oversight over patients rooms and hence reducing “mileage” for nurses. The Surgery Unit, consisting of 10 Procedure Rooms, is designed around a racetrack corridor, with pre- and post-op on one end and CSSD on the other, with all the operating rooms along the in-between corridors. These are larger than most used in southern Africa in order to accommodate extra equipment as is the case in USA.
The Obstetrics is very different from the conventional model in that there are no dedicated communal delivery rooms. There are 24 Labour, Delivery, Recovery, Post-Patem (LDRP) rooms. The design concept allows for the “expecting” patient to be wheeled into a pre-delivery room to stay there until after she has delivered her new-born and is ready to go home. The baby sleeps with her and provision is also made for the father to sleep in as well. This is an innovative and patient friendly methodology adopted from the USA.
Staff Housing
Because a large number of the clinical staff comprises of Batswana and expatriates from abroad, the overall planning has provided for staff housing on an adjacent site. Also due to shortage in supply of housing in Gaborone, 100 furnished housing units of varying sizes have been built.
Remarkable Features
Though it is not the largest in the country, Bokamoso Hospital is the first of its caliber in Botswana and it boasts world standard equipment. The hospital is geared at expanding private options for hospitalization, treatment and care in the country. The Chief Operating Officer (COO), James Pickle, is certain that the launch of the hospital will see a gradual decline in medical cases sent to South Africa for treatment.
The hospital specializes in all treatments and offers specialized surgery as orthopedics, urology, ophthalmology, cardiovascular operations and neurosurgical procedures. A full tour of the hospital in late November 2009 revealed that some of the equipment installed was the first of its kind in Botswana.
He went on to say that the hospital has telemedicine capability with satellite connectivity to the United States and other countries. This will be used in cases where a specialist in Bokamoso requires the assistance of another, in which case they would be seen and heard via satellite and participate in real-time. Zal Sarkari, the Director of the hospital and Technical advisor, added that the lights in the operation rooms are world class and were making their Botswana debut.
Materials
Externally, traditional red brick face brick has been used with plastered and painted walls. Also, pitched metal roofs have been used alternating with concrete roofs. This was done to accommodate the air-con plant on the roof, rather than hanging them on the side of the building and compromising the overall pleasant aesthetic of the buildings.
Internally materials used aim at showing the sterility function which they perform. Walls are either covered with sterile vinyl sheeting where necessary or painted with washable paint in the rest of the hospital. The foyer and courtyard corridor floors are finished off with porcelain tile and ceilings are vinyl-covered gypsum tiles laid in metal grid system, except in sterile areas which are plastered gypsum ceilings.
Challenges
Despite the timely completion of the projects, there were some challenges encountered during construction of this magnificent hospital. Firstly, the planning for construction in 2007 took place at a time when Southern Africa was experiencing a boom due to the 2010 World Cup. Consequently building prices were hiked by the demand for labour and material in South Africa.
At the same time, it was BPHT’s wish to build the housing development with citizen contractors, which resulted in three contractors working the project jointly and simultaneously – one building the hospital and two building the houses. The project managers ensured that time-lines were met and ensured prompt completion, while the quantity surveyors’ strict cost-control ensured that expenditure remained with the stipulated budget allowances.
Secondly, due to the distance of the site from the downtown district, all required utilities and services had to be extended to the site. The Kweneng District Council, the Water Utilities Corporation (WUC) and Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) among others have been helpful in ensuring that this happened.
Project Team
Project manager:
Bryden Project Management
Architect:
Casieri & Baker Architects Inc.
Quantity surveyor:
Kille & Dannhauser / Drake & Associates-JV
Civil & structural engineer:
Bergstan Africa
Mechanical engineer:
EGA Africa Consulting Engineers
Electrical engineer:
Willls, Aereboe, Wardle Inc.
Interior Consultant:
Susan Hume
Medical equipment:
Source Atlantic
