Cape Town - Sounds of a band reverberated through Groote Schuur Hospital’s new main building, bringing the festive spirit and joy into the usually sombre and clinical corridors and wards.
Hospital staff played the role of festive “helpers” in Christmas hats, and assisted in packing 800 grocery hampers for the hospital’s inpatients, over two days.
Led by the St Timothy’s Christmas Band, staff wheeled the heavy load of grocery hampers through to the wards.
Patient and Retreat resident Rehana Petersen was overcome with emotion by the hospital’s generosity.
“It’s so overwhelming, the tears are flowing. This is the first time ever since I was in hospital that something like this happened.
“It will help a lot, because I get a permanent disability (grant), so I’m not working due to illness.”
Patient and Bonteheuwel resident Monique Niekerk said she was excited to see the gesture, but also for the other patients, who got to experience some of the Christmas joy.
Head of nursing Aghmat Mohamed said this was an annual event at the hospital which could unfortunately not take place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This day is very important for our patients but also for the staff as well. For the patients, it is obviously a sad time because a lot of them are in hospital, a lot of them don't live close to the hospital. Their families are not close to them so we are their family,” Mohamed said.
“We just had a pandemic and we all know a lot of our patients and their family members lost their jobs. People are struggling financially so this means a lot to those patients.”
A staff member in the finance and supply chain/acquisition department, Mogamat Yusuf Anthony, said many patients don’t get any visitors or interact with other patients. This initiative allowed more staff to engage with patients to find out how they’re doing.
“From a cleaner, to a security guard, to intern, doctors, CEO, senior management, everybody is here,” Anthony said.
“Our main goal here is patient care. Whatever we do is for patients and the camaraderie around here, you can see it’s a lot of love, passion, and people jumped at the opportunity to do something for the patients.”
Adding extra joy to the day was the presence of Stormers rugby players Cornel Smit, Salmaan Moerat and Sazi Sandi.
Smit said: “A lot of patients are far away from home and aren’t close to their families, so we just want to make the festive season as happy as we can for them.”
Moerat, who despite being in a wheelchair due to an injury, was present.
“Being in the hospital is never a fun occasion, but if we can give something back to them, to just put a smile on their faces, that would make a big difference.”