Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Herald Correspondent
THE Avenues Clinic has completed a major refurbishment of its maternity ward and critical care units as part of an ongoing hospital-wide upgrade aimed at aligning infrastructure with global clinical standards.
Speaking during a tour of the refurbished facilities on Friday, general manager Mrs Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu said the upgrades were part of a broader strategy to modernise the hospital while maintaining the institution’s brand and patient-centred approach.
“We have done our medical ward, which is on the first floor. On the second floor, we have refurbished our private ward as well as our operating theatres and guiding room,” she said.
“Now we are on the third floor, which is our maternity ward, and just across is our ICU and high-dependency unit.”
Mrs Ndhlovu said the refurbishment sought to ensure that the hospital’s infrastructure matches the high standards of care already being delivered by its clinicians and nursing staff.
“We are happy with our clinicians and our clinical and nursing staff in terms of the care they are giving to our patients. What was left for us was to match that standard of clinical care with the infrastructure,” she said.
Mrs Ndhlovu said the hospital was responding directly to patient feedback, particularly from maternity patients who had expressed a preference for private rooms after delivery.
“After we opened Tucson Private downstairs, most mothers, after giving birth, wanted to go to private wards,” she said.
“However, that private ward was already catering for surgical, medical and other patients, and we were not able to meet the demand.”
The newly opened maternity ward has been divided into two sections to cater for different needs and budgets.
The right wing comprises seven private beds for mothers who prefer privacy, while the left wing has eight twin-sharing beds.
“We want to believe that it caters for all tastes and for all pockets,” said Mrs Ndhlovu.
Behind the maternity section is the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which she described as a “miracle-making machine” due to its clinical outcomes.
“We are proud of this unit because of the outcomes we get here. Even babies as young as 26 weeks who are born prematurely have come into this ward and gone home after being taken care of,” she said.
The NICU has also been expanded with four additional beds in response to growing demand.
Mrs Ndhlovu said the unit not only caters for babies born at Avenues Clinic but also receives referrals from other health institutions across the country.
“We still find that babies from other facilities are referred here when they require NICU services. We would like to cater for everyone — our own inpatients as well as those who may have delivered elsewhere but require the best neonatal care,” she said.
The refurbishment programme will continue as the institution positions itself as a regional referral centre offering world-class maternal, neonatal and critical care services.
