Gqeberha breaks ground on its first new acute hospital since 1985
The R528m Baywest Private Hospital, built by local doctors, will open with 120 beds and 28 specialists.
Gqeberha — Doctors in Nelson Mandela Bay broke ground on Thursday 22 October on the R528 million Baywest Private Hospital, next to Baywest Mall on the western edge of Gqeberha.
It will be the first fully fledged acute-care hospital built in the city since 1985. Since then the population has grown from about 590,000 to well over one million.
The plan
- 120 beds in phase one
- 28 specialists from day one
- Construction starts in January 2027; the first patients are expected about 18 months later
The project took six years to reach this point. Founder Dr Cameron McIntosh, an ENT specialist and plastic surgeon, called it a dream come true. He said the hospital is a statement that the Eastern Cape will no longer be the province patients leave to get treated.
The hospital's backers describe it as the product of local doctors and local investment. Mayor Babalwa Lobishe said it showed healthcare professionals' faith in the city's growth.
Source: Daily Maverick, 25 October 2026.
