Day hospital offers healthy new option in growing medical precinct just 5km from the city

The new Double Bay Day Hospital — the anchor tenant for the Kiaora Place medical precinct — officially opened its doors last Thursday.

Double Bay Day Hospital managing director Chris Kourt and Associate Professor Martin Weltman in the recovery area at the new facility. Pictures: John Appleyard

THE new Double Bay Day Hospital — the anchor tenant for the Kiaora Place medical precinct — has opened its doors.

A walk through of the private hospital revealed three gleaming state-of-the-art theatres with the latest models of sterilising and anaesthetic equipment.

Unlike many crammed hospitals, there was more space than usual between the seven beds in the light-filled recovery room and views of people shopping and mingling on the streets below.

Two of the theatres would be used for endoscopy procedures such as colonoscopies, gastroscopies and small colorectal procedures.

The hospital’s managing director Chris Kourt said they were also aiming to attract a broad range of specialists to perform in-demand procedures such as IVF, ENT, paediatric procedures and general surgery.

Prof Weltman said the hospital has bought the latest models of sterilising and anaesthetic equipment

It is the first day hospital of its kind in Double Bay — there is one other day facility but it specialises in cosmetic surgery.

The nearest facility of a similar size offering a range of surgeries is East Sydney Private.

The hospital’s managing director Chris Kourt expected the facility to be in high-demand from the eastern suburbs’ affluent Baby Boomers.

“The Baby Boomers are spending a higher proportion of their disposable income looking after their health and they are living longer than the previous generation,” said Mr Kourt.

“They are also very aware that bowel cancer is the second biggest killer of all cancers and so there is more demand for screening of the disease.”

Mr Kourt said they had left no stone unturned to ensure the hospital is hygienic and state of the art

Mr Kourt said the hospital would complement a range of other medical facilities at Kiaora Place.

“We see this hospital as the focal point for the new medical precinct in Double Bay,” he said.

“Currently 60 per cent of operations are done in day hospitals in Australia versus 85 per cent in the US.

“We’ll see this trend continue to increase in Australia as medical technology improves, allowing more procedures to be done without overnight stays.

He said the doctors hoped to soon be performing 400 procedures a month.

Martin Weltman, one of 12 founding partners, said it used to take up to five days to get a colonoscopy when he became a gastroenterologist 25 years ago.

“Now they are in and out within a few hours and the level of comfort and safety now is phenomenal,” he said.

The Double Bay Day Hospital is on level 2 of Kiaora Place at 451 New South Head Rd.

More information at: dbdh.com.au.