85 years of healing

Before the opening of the hospital in 1928, the small communities of Springs and Brakpan, which forms part of the Far East Rand, did not have a hospital of their own.

Instead they had to rely on the small Springs Nursing Home which was not big enough or adequately equipped.

Two well-known residents of the area, Dr GJ Joubert and PAM Brink, started a fundraising campaign for the development of a fully fledged public hospital.

Their idea was implemented by Jan H Hofmeyer, the administrator of the then Transvaal.

The corner stone of the old FERH was laid on June 4, 1927, with the doors opening for the first time on May 21, 1928.

The official opening of the hospital, with only 62 beds, took place on June 2, 1928 and the building cost a total of £36 000 to build and stock.

Starting off with Miss O’Brian, who was the first matron, and Dr Margaret Findlay, who was the first full-time medical officer, the hospital comprised of only four wards, all for white people.

For the first two years, two of the wards were used as a nurse’s residence.

The staff at that point was made up of 10 trained nurses and 12 student nurses, who would work an average of 72 hours a week.

From the start, the hospital was recognised as a training hospital for nurses and in 1930, a proper nurses’ residence were built at a cost of £10 000 as well as wards for black patients at a cost of £2 000.

With the very first patient being admitted on May 22, 1928, the total number of patients admitted for that year reached 620. By 1936, the hospital’s capacity had been reached, so on December 5, further extensions to the building increased the number of beds to 134.

The hospital continued to grow over the years, adding additional wards with extra beds as well as night wings for nurses and resident doctors.

By 1951, the hospital had 274 beds and the working hours were decreasing, reaching the introduction of the 40 hour work week in 1972.

Springs and Brakpan, in the mean time, had grown from small towns with a population of about 11 000 people to flourishing towns with approximately 40 000 people.

This increase in population meant that the hospital needed to extend once more.

In the 80s, Casualties, the outpatient department, ICU and theatre were built and officially opened at the beginning of 1990.

Currently, the FERH, along with Pholosong Hospital, Life Springs Parkland Clinic and Netcare N17 Hospital, serves the communities of Springs, Brakpan, Daveyton, KwaThema and the surrounding settlements and plots.

FERH spokesman Hendrik Buda says that at the moment the hospital is going through major changes.

“The main entrance was closed last year for renovations and has recently been reopened.

“Also, an old laboratory building has been renovated and is now accommodating lodger mothers and will officially open sometime this month,” he says.

There are a number of other renovations in process at the hospital including two of the wards undergoing renovations to be prototype wards which will cater for private patients, the renovation of lifts and the upgrading and painting of the Nurses’ Home.

“We have some big plans for the future of the hospital,” says Buda.

“These include renovations to the swimming pool, major renovations of the emergency and accident unit, which is the Casualty Ward, and major renovations of the high care paediatrics unit.”