As a migraine sufferer, I occasionally have to make a rush visit to one of the several hospital or medical centres in Cape Town for a shot of Voltaren/Diclofenac. It’s not a real medical emergency in the true sense, but migraines being what they are, it’s a good enough test of the private hospitals and private practices and their response time, in Cape Town.

As a little bit of background, a migraine is more than a headache. It can get to the stage where you literally think death is better than this pain and nausea. The medication that is required to treat it, works most efficiently and effectively if it is provided in the early stages of the migraine. So this is a good enough test of the medical services in terms of professionalism and promptness.

The two types of centres I’ve visited are:

• Medicross private practices (branches in Tokai and Hout Bay).


• Mediclinic private hospitals (branches in Constantia, and Oranjezicht in the Cape Town city bowl).

Medicross is a group that provides private doctors and specialists during working hours (up to 8 pm or thereabouts).

Mediclinic is a group of private hospitals with a 24/7 emergency facility.

I only used the Mediclinic’s after hours emergency facilities when the Medicross private medical practices were not open. Medicross was marginally cheaper than Mediclinic.

However the reason I would choose Medicross over Mediclinic emergency, was purely because if there is a real life threatening emergency at the Mediclinic, it would be understandable that I would have to wait my turn in line.

At Medicross, I could easily get attention immediately, as it is a private group of general practitioners and nurses normally operating on an appointment basis, which meant that a quick “emergency” could be squeezed in quite easily.

However, both facilities were excellent. The longest I ever waited at the Mediclinic emergency was about 30 minutes. Normally I’d be attended to within 10 minutes with no appointment.

The qualification of the medical staff in private clinics, practices and hospitals in South Africa is very high as well.

The cost of seeing a GP, and having a nurse administer a Voltaren shot is around R 325 all in.

Back from Private Medical Centres Cape Town to HOME

(Private Hospital open 24/7)

Burnham Road, Plumstead

24 Hour Emergency Centre:
+27 21 799 2196

(Private Hospital open 24/7)

21 Hof Street, Oranjezicht

24 Hour Emergency Centre:
+27 21 464 5555

(Private Doctors open office hours until 8pm)

Corner of Tokai & Keysers Rd, Tokai

Telephone:
+27 21 710-9950

(Private Doctors open office hours until 8pm)

30 Victoria Ave, Hout Bay

Telephone:
+27 21 790-3120

(Private Doctors open office hours until 8pm)

23 5th Avenue, Fish Hoek

Telephone:
+27 21 782-3506