We are members of the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists. Please click here for more info 
Who We Are
We are 4 specialist anaesthesiologists working in a friendly association to provide anaesthesia at the Life Knysna Private Hospital and the Advanced Knysna Surgical Centre.
As Specialist Anaesthesiologists, we are qualified medical doctors who have, in addition, undergone a minimum of 4 years of specialist training to enable us to provide anaesthesia for patients of all ages, and for any type of operation / procedure.
Knysna
is a small, vibrant coastal town in the picturesque Garden Route, a popular tourist destination. Knysna is characterised by its Estuary, on which many watersports are enjoyed. However we still seek to preserve the sensitive ecology of Knysna’s marine and wetland life.
The Garden Route has an expansive number of white sand beaches, which are enjoyed by surfers, fishermen and families alike. Our temperate climate, with moderate summer temperatures and mild winters, make Knysna an ideal place to be – whether to live and work, to visit as a holidaymaker or to retire. The town of Knysna has a lovely collection of restaurants and shops, There is something here to suit everyone!
Dr Reinhardt Jacobus de Wet
Dr Reinhardt J de Wet acquired his MBChB from Stellenbosch University in 1979. He then spent some time doing his national service, and qualified as an Anaesthesiologist in 1989, obtaining an MMed (Anaesth). Early in 1990 he entered private practice with Drs Allwright & Partners in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, for the next 22 years. During that period he became very skilled at Thoracic Anaesthesia and Regional Anaesthesia for Orthopedic Surgery. He subsequently obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Procedural Sedation in 2002 from the University of Stellenbosch. He is the currently the chairperson of SOSPOSA, the Society of Sedation Practitioners of SA. From 1997 - 2011, he worked extensively part-time in the United Kingdom (Nottingham Queens Medical Centre, The Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and The Royal Hospital Haslar in Portsmouth), in Canada (Moosejaw) and in Australia (Newcastle and Wagga Wagga General hospitals). In 2012 he relocated to Knysna where he now lives with his darling wife, Karin, a dietician; Oliver the Labradoodle and Katelien the cat, both KAWS acquisitions.
Dr Fourie de Kock
Dr Fourie de Kock completed medical training at the University of Stellenbosch in 1989. After starting his career in Windhoek he worked in the pharmaceutical research industry. Returning to clinical medicine, he developed an interest in underwater medicine in the SANDF, and completed specialist training in anaesthesiology at Groote Schuur Hospital in 2006. In England, where Fourie worked in academic hospitals in and around London for five years, he developed expertise in ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia, medical education and underwater medicine. Returning to South Africa, he worked in private practice in Richards Bay and at the tertiary hospital in Empangeni. Working at Universitas Academic Hospital in Bloemfontein, he developed expertise in the use of ultrasound for a range of clinical point-of-care applications. He was elected Free State branch chair of the SA Society of Anaesthetists Fourie remains an examiner of anaesthesiology trainees and reviewer for academic publications. He's committee member of the SA Society of Regional Anaesthesia and of the SA Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine Association. He's an active Advanced Trauma Life Support instructor, and recently qualified as a medical negligence mediator. Fourie is an experienced scuba diver and qualified skipper and enjoys riding his Boerperd.
Dr Catherine Joan Knights
Dr Catherine Joan Knights received her Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree at the University of Cape Town in 2003. She completed her Internship and Community Service years in the greater Johannesburg area, at Leratong, Krugersdorp and Edenvale Hospital respectively. She then went on to do a Diploma in Anaesthesia, DA(SA), training at Tembisa Hospital. After just over a year of A&E work in large private Casualty departments in Gauteng, she decided to return to Anaesthesia, and completed her 4 years of Registrar training on the Wits hospital circuit, attaining her Fellowship of the College of Anaesthesiologists, FCA(SA), in 2011. Thereafter she remained a Consultant in Anaesthesia at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, until July 2013 when she decided to move full-time into Private Practice. In January 2018 she moved to Knysna. She has a special interest in Opioid-Sparing Anaesthesia and Sedation for Plastic Surgery. She is married to Ben, a Chemical Engineer, and they have 2 children, 2 dogs and 2 cats.
Dr Marisha Bhagowat
Dr Marisha Bhagowat completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCh) at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2011. She underwent her two years of internship at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, and her community service and a year as a medical officer in Anaesthesiology at Kimberley Hospital Complex, attaining her Diploma in Anaesthesia, DA(SA) in 2016. In 2021, she completed both a Fellowship of the College of Anaesthesiologists, FCA(SA), at the College of Medicine of South Africa and a Masters in Medicine (Anaesthesiology), Mmed (Anaes), at the University of the Witwatersrand. She immediately entered the Johannesburg private practice sector but soon after relocated to Knysna to pursue work-life balance. Marisha is most passionate about paediatric anaesthesia and recently presented her research on paediatric emergence delirium at the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists Congress. She also has a special interest in ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia and is a member of the South African Society of Regional Anaesthesia. She enjoys hiking and horse riding and is kept busy exploring the garden route.
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