Nearly everyone in Cape Town has their own “Groote Schuur” story to tell.
The hospital offers specialist services in every area of human disease, including trauma, neurology, oncology and heart surgery, and is the only facility offering transplantation in South Africa’s public sector.
With a staff of over 500 doctors, 1300 nurses and 1600 allied workers, it treats 50,000 inpatients and 350,000 outpatients every year.
I have had family and friends in nearly every sector of the hospital, and I am convinced that the medical care received from the hospital, is world-class – and to the millions of South Africans not privileged enough to be on medical aids and hospital plans, good medical care at a public hospital is vital.
The image of public hospitals in South Africa is not a good one. We’ve all seen the pictures and watched the videos of under-resourced, struggling facilities with patients getting the short end of the stick.
The struggle for the most vulnerable in our society remains very real, especially when it comes to the public healthcare system. Poor people suffer and die because they cannot afford private medical care. This is something I hope and pray the NHI will change.
Groote Schuur Hospital has all the challenges of other public hospitals and has faced severe budget cuts, but their patients also have access to state-of-the-art equipment, the best minds in medicine and robotic surgery.
Many patients of GSH and other public healthcare facilities across the country, save thousands of rands in chronic medication and outpatient specialist visits.
Groote Schuur Hospital became the first public-sector hospital in Africa to offer robot-assisted surgery.
This achievement followed the launch of the R38 million Da Vinci Xi surgical system on October 13, 2021.
Robotic surgeries are currently used for general surgery and abdominal wall and colorectal surgeries. In urology, they are used for prostatectomies, cystectomies, and nephrectomies. In gynaecology, they are used to treating endometriosis, as well as in applications for pelvic floor urogynaecology.
In June last year, radiation therapy at Cape Town’s Groote Schuur hospital received a multi-million rand boost with new advanced machinery, including a R47 million linear accelerator, which uses high energy waves to destroy cancer cells.
At Groote Schuur hospital, the most common female cancers treated are breast and cervical cancer, while the most common male cancers include prostate, head and neck or gastro-intestinal cancer.
The acquisition of technologically advanced machinery to deliver radiotherapy is seen as an important milestone in cancer treatment.
The one complaint we often hear from the communities who make use of public hospitals, is the lack of compassion and empathy from the staff.
Sadly, I have witnessed this at Groote Schuur hospital too – but rarely from medical staff in the wards. We are blessed to have some truly amazing people who work at GSH.
In May last year, my husband Nazeem Davids – was admitted to Ward C12 (High Care) at GSH.
Though a little patience was required, the nurses were always knowledgeable, attentive and very helpful.
In October, his medical condition became more serious and he had to be admitted to Ward C26 (Cardiac ICU – Hot)
It was during this time, that I saw (what I believe to be) the very best of healthcare workers. His team of cardiac physicians were amazing, but it was the compassion and care from the nursing staff in particular which stood out.
They got my husband and me (a very distraught wife) through one of the most difficult times in our lives.
We are often quick to take to task and expose those who give us bad service, but seldom take the time to commend good service. I would like to take to take this opportunity to thank those on duty during the day and night shifts in Cardiac ICU (Hot), Ward C26 of GSH during the week of 23 – 28 October 2023 for their professionalism, compassion and care.
They are undoubtedly my healthcare heroes, and represent what I would like to see in everyone in the healthcare system, public or private.
Every patient and their families will have different experiences. If you're unhappy with the care or treatment you received from a Western Cape Government health facility, you can lodge a complaint as follows:
SMS the word Help, followed by your name, the nature of your complaint, facility and, if applicable, the name of a staff member to 31022.
Call 0860 142 142 and press 1.
Send an email to service@westerncape.gov.za
Please Call Me: 079 769 1207
If you particularly want to provide feedback (compliments or complaints) to Groote Schuur Hospital, you can do so on:
Tel: 021 404 2311
E-mail: Gsh.c&c@westerncape.gov.za
It is easy to become disheartened by the overall state of public health facilities in the country, but let us not overlook the great benefits we get from them, and let us acknowledge those who help in making our public health system journey better.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za