140 | Kaweka Health: Gemco Group T T Karen Phelps Transforming healthcare in Hawke’s Bay The Stage 2 building, spanning 7400sqm, is set to house a comprehensive range of medical facilities. COMMUNITY The new Stage 2, three-storey Kaweka Health building is making steady progress and remains on schedule to open its doors in mid-2025. The development marks the region’s most substantial healthcare project in decades, promising to revolutionise medical services for the local community, says managing director of Westside Healthcare, Dr Colin Hutchison. “It’s really exciting to see the building coming together. We’re very grateful to our lead contractor Gemco that have run a really efficient project for us.” The Stage 2 building, spanning 7400sqm, is set to house a comprehensive range of medical facilities. These include a state-of-theart radiology suite, a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, a private cancer service, a full ward and 50 outpatient rooms. Dr Colin says this expansion will significantly enhance the hospital’s capacity to provide specialised care within the region. One of the most notable features of the new building is its incorporation of base isolation technology, a first for buildings in Hawke’s Bay. “The base isolator will act as shock absorbers in an earthquake, allowing the ground to move independently of the building. This is the same technology that is used at Te Papa and the Beehive.” Resilience is further accentuated by a 1.5m VA Unison Transformer that will supply electricity to both Stage 1 and Stage 2 buildings. Additionally, a backup emergency diesel generator set has been installed to provide essential power to all of Stage 1 and 50% of Stage 2 in case of outages. The hospital’s commitment to patient safety is further evidenced by the installation of six tonnes of UPS battery packs in the Stage 1 plant floor. These batteries can provide 120 minutes of power supply in an emergency, ensuring that any ongoing operating procedures can be safely completed, even in the event of a power failure. Another feature of the new facility is its bulk liquid oxygen (LOX) system. With a capacity of 5500 litres of cryogenic liquid oxygen stored at temperatures below -183 degrees Celsius, this system will provide approximately five million litres of gaseous oxygen to both Stage 1 and Stage 2 buildings, ensuring a reliable supply for patient care. Dr Colin says the construction process has been structured to ensure efficiency and timely completion. He says that good forward planning had allowed for pre-ordering of structural steel, a strategic move to secure supplies and mitigate potential cost increases. Stage 2A structural works, and Stage 2B, which includes the base build envelope works and internal fit-out, are both now completed. As the project moves forward, exciting partnerships are being formed. Kaweka Health has already announced a joint venture with The Eye Institute, bringing together the largest group of eye surgeons in Hawke’s Bay. Dr Colin hints that this is just the first of several announcements regarding specialist clinician services to be established at the facility. Located in Canning Road, opposite Hawke’s Bay Hospital, the project is the brainchild of a group of local doctors, who identified a barrier to delivering good patient care, was a lack of good facilities. Private investment has seen the project commence rapidly. Owned by Westside Healthcare, when completed Kaweka Health will provide a significant increase to the Hawke’s Bay’s current operating capacity, delivering 5000 to 7000 additional operations each year. Stage 1 brought its own set of impressive facilities, including four operating theatres, support areas such as a pre-admission unit, recovery areas, overnight beds, and a sterile services facility. The facility’s name, Kaweka Health, was gifted by Ngahiwi Tōmoana of Ngāti Kahungunu iwi, drawing inspiration from the Kaweka ranges that protect the region. This name aligns perfectly with the facility’s vision of improving the health and wellbeing of the people of Hawke’s Bay. At the heart of Kaweka Hospital’s mission is a set of core values known as ‘The Kaweka Way’, which Dr Colin says underpins every aspect of the hospital’s operations and culture. “The Kaweka Way encompasses the foundational values that allow us to provide a worldclass facility and service to our patients, our local community, and our teams,” he explains. “These values, deeply rooted in both English and Māori concepts, include Kounga (quality), Delivering full structural engineering services for Hawkes Bay’s first base isolated building. PRECAST HAWKES BAY LTD MANUFACTURERS OF COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND RESIDENTIAL PRECAST CONCRETE WALL PANELS precasthb@xtra.co.nz 06 835 8315 sales@sharpedge.co.nz sharpedge.co.nz | 37-39 Thorn Place, Onekawa, Napier Proudly supporting Gemco Construction on the Kaweka Hospital Project DESIGN AND INNOVATION: STAINLESS STEEL AND SHEET METAL FABRICATION SERVICES
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