Africa’s first certified green hospital has opened in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. Known as Cintocare, the 11 000 sqm specialised surgical hospital development by Growthpoint Properties is the first 5-star rated green hospital in Africa, and only the fifth in the world with its specialised surgical mix and clinical business model.
Located in the green Menlyn Main precinct, the hospital is a tailor-made, high-performance clinical centre of excellence focused exclusively on head, neck, spinal and vascular surgery. The property comprises seven levels – three parking, one for the plant room and three clinical and consulting levels. The development partnership delivered the full suite of services for the 100-bed hospital. It incorporates 15 consulting rooms and five theatres, including one hybrid theatre, with the potential to increase this number to eight.
Cintocare’s doctor, patient, staff, and visitor experience was a focal point for the design strategy to enable the optimal delivery of specialised service. Its medical professionals are supported by state-ofthe-art equipment and technology. Disciplines offered include neuro and spinal surgeons, maxillofacial and oral surgeons, ear, nose and throat surgeons, plastic and reconstructive surgeons and a vascular surgeon, as well as specialist physicians, paediatricians and intensivist.
Its services include radiology, pathology, physiotherapy, audiology and speech and swallowing therapy. Care is woven into every detail of the hospital’s design. For instance, the swooping shading along the building’s impressive glass façade is crafted to evoke spinal vertebra found in the neck, reflecting its inner purpose while also being functional.
Construction of the R470m specialist surgical hospital began in July 2018 and, despite the COVID-19 lockdown, was completed on time at the end of 2020. The hospital is the culmination of the close collaboration between its operators, doctors, promoters, developers, owners, and other stakeholders.
According to Growthpoint Development Manager, Michiel Gerber, developing a world-class hospital is a major undertaking in itself, but doing so during the uncertainty of a pandemic intensified the complexity of the task. “Every party involved in the construction rose to the challenge of managing the heightened risks to safely deliver the development of Cintocare, which is changing the future of healthcare properties in South Africa,” he said.
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Africa’s first certified green hospital
Cintocare incorporates numerous sustainable design and management features, earning a 5 Green Star Custom Healthcare design certification from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA). Healthcare facilities with green design have been found to deliver 15% faster recovery rates, a 22% reduction in need for pain medication, an 11% reduction in secondary infections, and an 8.5% reduction in hospital stays.
Cintocare is also South Africa’s first hospital to generate its own oxygen on demand using an installed PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) plant. Growthpoint Properties SA CEO, Estienne de Klerk, said that together, they have pioneered and paved the way forward for specialist medical facilities in the country while establishing the specifications for a green building certification tool for local healthcare properties, which didn’t exist before this development.
“We have a great partnership with Cintocare and are proud to be with them at the cutting edge of creating a new clinical model in South Africa. For Growthpoint, this project is about much more than a building; it is about creating a positive experience for all Cintocare users in a place of healing and wellness,” he added.
