Built in 1978 as a 350-bed provincial hospital, it was abruptly closed on December 26, 1996, citing underuse and zoning concerns. The sudden shutdown left expensive equipment and patient records abandoned inside. Over the years, it has become a magnet for urban explorers, paranormal investigators, and adrenaline seekers who report phantom footsteps, disembodied voices, and the lingering presence of Dr. Esterhuizen, the notorious unqualified paediatrician linked to patient deaths in the 1980s.