Two doctors named Bouwer practise within a few kilometres of each other in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, and they do quite different work. Dr Evert Bouwer in Durbanville handles travel, diving and occupational medicine. Dr Lana Bouwer in Welgemoed runs a family practice. Picking the wrong one is easy, and for some certificates it means being turned away.

Official contact channels

Dr Lana Bouwer practice publishes a single mobile line for both calls and WhatsApp, while the Durbanville practice runs a landline and a mobile alongside a reception mailbox. Use the mailbox if you need something in writing, such as a certificate query or a medical aid authorisation.

What this organisation provides

This is the part that decides which practice you need. A dive medical, a seafarer medical or a yellow fever certificate can only be issued by a practitioner holding the specific designation, so those go to the Durbanville rooms. An ordinary consultation, a chronic condition or a family appointment goes to the Welgemoed practice.

If an employer, a dive school or a shipping agent has asked for a certificate, check which designation they require before booking. The designations above are separate registrations and not interchangeable.

Address and operating information

Durbanville and Welgemoed are close enough that a referral letter naming only the surname is genuinely ambiguous. Check the street address on the letter, or the practice number, before you drive.

Support and escalation routes

Certificates carry their own appeal routes. If a dive or seafarer medical is failed, the practitioner applies a standard the authority sets, so the question is usually about the standard rather than about the doctor.

Sources

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