Heroes of Groote Schuur, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town (2025)

18/09/2025

As part of our Pharmacy Month focus, we spoke to Tasneem Asmall, a production pharmacist in the inpatients pharmacy, about the new staff tea room mural she recently painted at the outpatients pharmacy.

“I have been at Groote Schuur Hospital for 11 years. I came here straight out of my community service placement in 2014.

I enjoy working at GS for a number of reasons. I have some really good colleagues that make the working environment a lot more comfortable and a nice place to work in. I'm grateful for the good colleagues I work with and a lot of them have become really amazing friends.

I also really enjoy helping people and I know that this is one of the places that we can actually make a difference. It is challenging because there is a high volume of patients coming to the pharmacies. But we have a team that's all on the same page about wanting to help patients, putting the patients first and working together to make things better, not only for the patients, but also for us.

I used to work at the outpatients pharmacy, but was recently rotated to the inpatient pharmacy. It is very busy from the time we get there until home time. But it's good to be doing something that has such a positive impact on people's lives.

I think the pharmacy team often feels like we are overlooked because all the nice wellness things happen during our peak periods. So we’ve been looking at trying to incorporate wellness for pharmacy, by doing what we can during our quiet times of the day. Towards the end of last year, we said that our tea room needed a revamp. The windows were a little bit dirty and the walls needed to be cleaned and painted, so we decided to ask if it would be possible for us to do a mural.

I really enjoy painting and I actually run some art classes as a side hustle to help people. So that's why I thought it would be such a nice idea to do a cool mural and just make the tea room a more fun and lively space to walk into. We wanted to give people coming for tea and lunch something small to make them smile, whilst still having something related to pharmacy.

They asked me if I would be interested in helping with the project, which I did. It was really such a pleasure to work on it and I'm grateful that I got to do something nice for the team because they deserve nice things.

I got some help from some of my colleagues. A lot of people came to help when we were painting the blank wall. I had to do the details mainly by myself, but the first part of the project was a group effort.

We just wanted it to be a nice space to feel comfortable and where people can take their tea time and their lunchtime in a clean environment that brightens your day a little bit.”

12/09/2025

September is Pharmacy Month. We speak to pharmacy assistants Endie Teyise, Banele Ndyenga and Lionel Clarence about the new medicine lockers at the hospital.

Endie Teyise: “The idea for the lockers started because we didn’t want our patients to wait for a long time at the pharmacy for their medication. Many of them have previously had to spend a lot of time queuing. Often people are forced to miss work because have to spend a few hours queuing for their medication. Some patients also come from far away. So it costs our patients in terms of time and also money.”

Lionel Clarence “The locker system is being used in a few other places, like the District Six Hospital. We went to see them there, and then the lockers were installed here in March this year.”

Banele Ndyenga: “Now, two days before our patients come for their repeat medication, we update their folders and we prepare their medicine and we place it in the locker. The patient then gets an sms with a pin, and they are able to come and collect their medication within three days. So now the patients can come and collect their medicine when it’s convenient for them. They can even come on the weekend. They can also send someone else to collect it for them if that works better for them.

Lionel Clarence: “For example, there is a patient who is blind. She used to be dropped by a driver and then wait hours for her medication, and then would call the driver to collect her when she was ready. Now the driver just comes past the hospital to collect her medication for her."

Banele Ndyenga: “It also helps with the staff from Groote Schuur who would come and collect medication. Before they used to come to the pharmacy around 2pm and there would be a bit of a backlog, but now they can also collect from the lockers. And they don’t have to leave their stations for a long time either. They can come after work.”

Endie Teyise: “Because of this system, the backlog and waiting times in the pharmacy has really decreased. We like the system because it has made things more efficient and reduced the waiting times in pharmacy, but the feedback we’re getting from patients is that they also really prefer this system.”

04/09/2025

Groote Schuur Hospital is in the middle of building a brand-new Emergency Centre, a once-in-a-generation project that will give patients the care and dignity they deserve when they are accessing care for emergencies. But without the right equipment the Centre won’t be able to function optimally. Dr Annemarie Kropman, Head of the Emergency Unit, explains why the build is so urgent and why we need the public’s support.

Q: Can you tell us about the new Emergency Centre?

“The project started in about 2012 with the drawing up of diagrams. These were revisited in 2019 and then they started building last year. It’s being built where the ambulance parking trauma deck was.

Phase one was finished last year and we’re currently in phase two, which entails the construction of the trauma and non-trauma side. Completion should be in February next year. Phase three is when we will move into the new Emergency Centre and start using it, and that is when the majority of the equipment has to be functional and ready.

The current trauma centre is being repurposed as a radiology department for emergency patients, and the non-trauma side as a referral centre for various disciplines.”

Q: What equipment will the new Centre need to function optimally?

“To be functional, the Emergency Centre requires certain equipment. This includes things like the Lodox (X-ray imaging system), ultrasound machines, and cardiac monitors, all critical for the running of an emergency room. But even minor items, like patient trolleys, are critical.

Unfortunately, we now know there isn’t enough money for the list of equipment required. It’s been quite a blow. So we have a funding gap, and a massive requirement to get support from the public and private sector for the items that will make the Emergency Centre function optimally.

Groote Schuur is a tertiary emergency centre, there’s a certain service we should be able to provide, but without the correct equipment we will not be able to do so. That’s the bottom line.”

Q: What is the situation like in the current Emergency Unit?

“Currently Groote Schuur’s Emergency area has two parts, trauma and non-trauma, and both areas see a huge number of patients. But both have outgrown their capacity and purpose. Patient numbers have been increasing because of a growing local population and a growing number of people falling off medical aid, while the degree of patient illness has also been getting worse.

The facilities are very old and the building is run down. It’s difficult to keep fixing and remodelling. Because this is such a small area for the amount of patients we see, there’s never the opportunity to make something better because we can't move the patients anywhere else.”

Q: What pressures has equipment been under in recent years?

“The facility took a big knock during Covid. This area received the patients with acute Covid and respiratory issues, and our emergency equipment was put under extra pressure.
For example, the cardiac monitors had to see us right through Covid. Some of them are from 2006, so they were quite old already, and then because they had extra use they started breaking. There are no repair parts. We’ve repurposed what we can, but it gets to a point where there’s nothing more you can do.

Medical technology moves so quickly, and a good example is the ultrasound. It’s now a vital function in an emergency centre. But we only have one ultrasound, and it’s being used for almost every patient coming through the door. It also had to go through the whole of Covid and we haven’t had the funds to buy a new one.
We’ve been using our very limited financial resources to buy absolute essentials, but we’ve been waiting and making do until the launch of the new Emergency Centre. We try to overcome as much as we can, but there’s a point at which we won’t be able to fix the next monitor that breaks.”

----------------------

Help us equip the new Emergency Centre and give Dr Kropman and her team the tools they need to save lives. Click here to contribute: https://www.gshtrust.co.za/donate

28/08/2025

As our final Woman’s Month post, we focus Sister Fatoema Moos and Sister June Lydia Bailey-Smith. Both are operational managers (Ward F12 and F5 respectively) in the Gynaecology Ward, who have developed a strong and unique friendship along with a passion for women’s health – and have served women, mothers and children for over 30 years.

Fatoema Moos: “My journey into women's health began 27 years ago when I was a newly registered nurse. Growing up in a staunch and conservative Muslim household, I was shielded from discussions about various conditions affecting women, such as infertility and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). My late mother held the belief that if a girl missed her period, she was surely pregnant. Seeking help to conceive was a taboo topic. At that time, I was in my twenties, newly married, and striving to conceive.

In April 1997, I began working in the gynaecology ward amid significant political changes in South Africa post-apartheid. New laws were being introduced, including the Termination of Pregnancy Act. Initially, I feared that handling this aspect of women's health might be emotionally challenging due to my own struggles with infertility. However, I was amazed by my resilience and ability to provide compassionate care to all women, regardless of their circumstances.

I discovered an unexpected strength within myself. I embraced women's health with enthusiasm and dedication. The more I learned, the more passionate I became. I was able to look beyond the reasons women chose to terminate their pregnancies and provided them with full, non-judgmental nursing care. Conversely, I also nursed patients trying to conceive and could empathize with them by sharing my own experiences.

During my time in gynaecology, I had the privilege of meeting June Lydia Bailey-Smith, who became my friend and confidante. Our shared experiences with infertility created a strong bond between us. We were affectionately known as the "Twinsies" as we walked down hospital street together.

Despite our different leadership styles, we work together to provide quality nursing care to women of all ages and backgrounds. Each woman receives the same level of care, regardless of the circumstances that bring her to our doorstep.

------------

June Lydia Bailey-Smith: “Women’s health is our core business, and we are committed to providing comprehensive care for various conditions affecting the female reproductive system. These include infertility, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy terminations, urinary system issues, and different cancers.

Our approach also encompasses end-of-life care, addressing the needs of both the very young and aged patients.
We understand the vulnerability women face when afflicted with conditions affecting their reproductive health.

Our services extend to managing sexually assaulted patients and those experiencing pregnancy losses, such as miscarriages and intrauterine deaths, making them among the most vulnerable of all patients. We also provide care for patients who develop complications post-delivery, treating mothers and newborn babies in totality to promote the bond between them.

A ‘thoroughfare ward’ previously posed a significant safety and security risk to our newborn babies, increasing the risk of baby snatching. For almost two years, mothers and newborn babies were separated due to our inability to provide a safe and secure space for them. This separation negatively impacted our patients' emotional and physical well-being, leading some to refuse hospital treatment.

In response, we worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a safe space for our patients. Our wards are now access-controlled, restricting entry to ensure the safety and security of our patients and newborn babies. This measure allows us to promote women’s health in the most effective way, addressing the comprehensive needs of our patients and their families.”

21/08/2025

This Women’s Month, we highlight some of the many incredible women who work at Groote Schuur. Today we talk to Tania Sulyman, senior enrolled nursing auxiliary, from the Maxillo-Facial Unit.

“I started at Groote Schuur on 1 March 1988. I trained at Carinus Nursing College, and spent my first month in the gynaecology unit. After that, I moved to cardiothoracics, then to the intensive care unit, before working in trauma. That was before the new building was constructed. After it was built, I worked in various units there for about 17 years until I moved to Maxillo-Facial in 2006.

We mostly deal with facial fractures, so we see many former trauma patients, patients with growths, and children. We also treat patients from across the province who are referred to Groote Schuur, which I am very passionate about, because of the process of getting here.

For example, if a patient comes from George, they arrive at George Hospital at 6pm and spend the night there before being collected at 5am for the drive here. Not everyone who travels from far has money for padkos, so we always try to make sure they have something to eat for the journey back.

We always try to accommodate patients, even if they arrive on the wrong day for their appointment. Not everyone can afford to make two trips to the hospital, so our goal is to ensure they are attended to wherever possible. It’s easy for us to say, ‘Come back tomorrow,’ but it’s not always easy for them to return the next day.

Where we can, we also try to make sure patients can fit all their hospital appointments into one day. So if they’re coming in for blood work, for example, we’ll do our best to accommodate them on the same day, so they only have to make one trip to Groote Schuur.

I always try to help with people’s bus fares or buy them small things to eat, like a yoghurt or a packet of chips. Not everyone can eat solid foods because of the medical issues they’re dealing with, so I try to get them something they’re able to eat.

What I enjoy about working at Groote Schuur is that, in the Maxillo-Facial Unit, we’re like a family. We’re not a big unit, so I’d describe us as a close-knit team that works together as part of a multidisciplinary approach. When we work together, it’s always for the benefit of the patients.

I always strive to be non-judgemental because I’ve never walked in their shoes. People tend to judge trauma patients, but my patients are always my first priority, and that’s why I’m here.”

14/08/2025

“After I finished school I applied to nursing because that was my dream, but I also applied to the navy, the army, the police, and for a girl Friday position - which I got. I started working there but when they heard I’d also applied for nursing they fired me! But I prayed about it, and then Groote Schuur Hospital responded to say my application was successful.

And so I started here in October 1985 at Ward F4. It was the orthapedic ward, but orthopaedics also had a section for oncology patients. My first assignment was to wash one of these patients, who was very sick. But I was very calm, and I saw that as the beginning of my journey with nursing and oncology.

When I had qualified as an enrolled nurse, I worked in A6 opthalmology and there I was working with patients with retinoblastomers. So it doesn’t seem strange that I’ve spent the last 20 or so years in the oncology ward - I moved here in 2003.

I like to think that I have compassion for all my patients, and treat our patients like I’d want to be treated. Sometimes it can be hard. Once after a patient had just passed on, another younger sister asked how I could not cry. I took her aside and told her that I had learnt that I couldn’t be emotional but needed to stay focused. But sometimes you do feel it, and just want to let it out and have a good cry.

I always pray whem I'm coming to work, and before I start anything, I ask for His grace and protection and for Him to work through me so that I can help people better. I’ve seen miracles happen in my time here.

I’ve done a lot of courses in my time here because patients always had questions for me, and I wanted to know ‘why’ and how to do things.

And now I’m about to retire after 40 years of work. I have mixed feelings about it but at the moment I’m also looking after my 94-year-old mom, who has been through quite a lot. I’ll miss the people and the one-to-one contact. Working here has been my passion, and I’ve loved working with the patients. So far I’ve been very blessed.” — Sister Sharon Trussell

06/08/2025

This Women’s Month, we highlight some of the many incredible women who work at Groote Schuur. First up: Sister Maghboeba Fortune, who has led the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) in Groote Schuur’s Urology Unit since 2022.

“I’m a Grotties girl. I did my pupil nurse training here, I did my bridging training here, so I’m all about the institute and putting it out there. I can say that ‘I am proudly Groote Schuur’.

I started here as a pupil nurse in 1992, and after two years, I became an enrolled nurse. In 2004, I completed a two-year bridging course, which led me to become a registered nurse.

Nursing runs in my family. My son is currently completing his nursing community service. My sister is a theatre sister at the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, and my cousin works in the private sector.

Groote Schuur is the only state hospital that runs the ERAS programme. It involves a multidisciplinary team focused on improving patients' lives before and after major surgery.

We work with a dietician, a pain sister, physiotherapists, doctors, other hospital departments, and an external NPO that helps ensure the recovery process continues at home. There has also been a lot of support from the management team in providing the necessary resources to implement a programme of this scale.

Since the programme was implemented, there has been a significant improvement in patient recovery.

My role in the programme is to act as the link between the patient and the various hospital staff they need to see. When a patient is discharged, they receive my WhatsApp number so they can message me if any challenges arise. I then communicate with the doctor to get the patient back to the hospital so the issue can be addressed.

People don’t always understand what goes on behind the scenes. You are the support system for the patient and their family. You get to know the patient. For example, with some bladder cancer patients, the cancer may become too advanced for surgery, and they then leave the ERAS programme as a result. You’re told to know where your boundaries are, but I can’t just walk away from these patients. Even after they’ve been removed from the programme, they still reach out, sometimes just because they need someone to listen. I also make sure that if they slip through the cracks, they’re brought back to receive the treatment they need.

It’s a lot of work for one person, but I love it. I’m so passionate about my job, and I always want to give 120%. I think that passion comes from being a people’s person and seeing patients go through a successful recovery journey.”

22/07/2025

“First and foremost, haematology is the best specialty on the planet. We form long-lasting, lifelong relationships with our patients.

Our primary focus is on haematological malignancies, which includes all the blood cancers, leukemias, and so on. We also do bone marrow transplants in our unit – in fact, we are the referral centre for most of the country. We also deal with people who bleed too much or who get blood clots or other disorders.

We have outpatients clinics running every day, and sometimes multiple clinics on the same day. For instance, on a Thursday we primarily see patients with slow growing lymphomas. Then we also have a transplant clinic, so all our patients who have had transplants come in today for follow ups.

We’ve also got our in-patients, and we also have a telephonic clinic for patients who've been remission for a while.

Bone marrow transplants are very dynamic. The advantage we have over other transplants is that the donor doesn't have to be dead, and the donor doesn't lose anything by donating.

A major breakthrough is that we are now able to do half-matched transplants. That means almost everybody's going to have a donor. If you're a parent, then you've got a half match in one of your children. And if you're a child, then your parents are a half match for you. And the same goes for siblings. It doesn't work for everyone, but it offers a lot of hope for the majority of our patients.

We do have challenges. There are a lot of people who need primary bone marrow transplants, but we only have six beds here and two at Red Cross. As a country we are supposed to be transplanting at least 600 to 800 children every year and we're doing barely a fraction of this. Despite this, we still transplant more children than any other unit in South Africa (private or public).

Physical space and staffing, and the availability of drugs, are also an issue. Haematology is also quite expensive as a discipline, but that is of course because our field is at the forefront of innovative drugs that completely change patients’ lives. A lot of new developments and treatments are however, slow in becoming available in South Africa, and may come at great cost. We are hoping to attract more clinical trials, which can grant our patients access to medication that would otherwise be unavailable to them.

The sun continues to rise in Haematology and we remain optimistic that we can continue to provide world class care to our patients despite the challenges." – Dr Siphiwe Baloyi, Consultant: Clinical Haematology

15/07/2025

👕 Mandela Day is almost here!

Every day, patients arrive at the hospital with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Your donation can help restore comfort and dignity to vulnerable individuals during a difficult time in their lives.

This July, we’re calling on our community to support this meaningful initiative by donating the following items:
🧡 We urgently need:
✔️ Clean adult clothing (men & women)
✔️ Jerseys, pants, hoodies, jackets
✔️ Flip flops or flat shoes
✔️ NEW undergarments
📍 Drop-off: Groote Schuur Hospital, Old Main Building, Room E49
🕘 Weekdays | 09:00 – 15:00
📞 021 404 2243

Give from the heart. Every item makes a difference.

09/07/2025

“I started in a cleaning position six years ago. My supervisor pushed me to apply for the position of Housekeeper. The first time I applied I didn’t get the job but the same year another post opened. Initially I said, ‘No, no, no, I don’t want to open the door to another disappointment’. But she persuaded me to try again so I applied and got the job and I’ve now been doing it for two years.

I’m in charge of the six cleaning ladies for C12 and C13. I make sure that they do their duties, and that I do my duties, like making sure my ward has everything it needs.

C12 is high care, and there are people with various diagnoses here. Between me and the cleaning ladies we have to make sure that the ward is especially clean.

Before I came here I was a cleaner in a retail environment. When I came to Groote Schuur I knew nothing about how to clean in a hospital. This is very different. It’s got to be super clean so that it’s safe for the patient. But I had a good housekeeper, and she taught me what I needed to know.

I’m passionate about learning, and I make sure I keep on learning because I’m dealing with sick patients.

The new role has been a challenge, but I have learnt that communication is key. If you have a problem, or if you are absent, you have to communicate with me so I can communicate to my boss. I’m not the only boss – there are bosses above me, so if my stuff is not done, I have to answer. But I also want my team to feel free to talk to me if there are issues.

But I’ve liked learning to manage people.

This is obviously very different from the other jobs I've had because you see sick people and it can be quite hard, especially when someone dies. But we work together as a team, which is nice. At the end of the day, it’s a community here and we all help each other.

The best part of the job is communicating with the cleaning ladies and the different people in the wards, seeing different doctors and different people.
It’s also really good just to see a patient happy, when they have recovered and been discharged, saying, ‘I'm going home’.

That feels good.” – Lucricia Msindeni, General Assistant

23/06/2025

Help our Heroes continue to help our youth at Groote Schuur Hospital by supporting the 'Better Together' programme.

----

“Being sick is hard — being sick and alone is worse.”

When Luyolo was diagnosed with a chronic kidney condition, she felt isolated and overwhelmed. But through the Better Together programme at Groote Schuur Hospital, she found community, connection, and confidence.

“I used to stay quiet, but now I speak. I used to skip my meds, but now I know why I need them.”

Every week, young people like Luyolo gather to share, support each other, and find strength in knowing they’re not alone.

This Youth Month, help us keep this life-changing programme going. We urgently need funds to train youth mentors, run weekly groups, and expand support across Groote Schuur Hospital.

❤️ Donate now: https://www.gshtrust.co.za/donate

17/06/2025

To celebrate Youth Day, we speak to Sister Jenise Kapiera, a Nurse Specialty Operations Manager for Child Nursing in the Adolescent Ward.

“I have been at Groote Schuur since 2000. I completed my nursing training at Tygerberg and then have spent my entire professional life at Groote Schuur, predominantly in paediatrics and adolescents. Because of human resource issues, I also assist in the general medicine ward, but my passion is ultimately children, because that is always what I wanted to specialise in and what I was trained in.

During COVID-19, we moved the paediatric patients to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, so since then we have only seen adolescent patients here. That means we typically see patients between 13-18 years old, but on rare occasions if the situation calls for it, we will see patients in their early 20s.

Since I was a student, I’ve always enjoyed working with children. I find I can better engage with them than with adults. You also learn a lot from children.

It is so important to have specialised care and wards for adolescent patients, and sadly this is the only in-patient ward for adolescents in the Western Cape. Adolescents are a vulnerable group and easily fall through the cracks, especially when they are placed in adult wards. You will find that they often become depressed in these situations because they are surrounded by adults in an environment that is not conducive to them and the challenges they face.

You need to nurse the patient holistically. The psychological aspect can deeply affect adolescent patients. They’re already navigating changing hormones — everything is all over the show. And now, on top of that, they’re dealing with a physical illness. So it’s vital to consider every aspect of their care.

Our adolescent ward has been set up differently. It starts with the physical space, which plays a huge role in creating a caring environment. We have a hospital school, with two dedicated teachers, situated right in the ward. Just because they’re in hospital, it doesn’t mean their education should stop. They have the right to continue learning. We also have a recreational room, where they can relax, play, and socialise.

Of course the staff who care for the patients also need to be skilled because you need to have a different approach when it comes to adolescents, because of the challenges they face.

Ultimately, our mission is to work with adolescents and help optimise their opportunities in life and to support them to become valuable and thriving members of their communities.”

Heroes of Groote Schuur

18/09/2025

12/09/2025

04/09/2025

28/08/2025

21/08/2025

14/08/2025

06/08/2025

22/07/2025

15/07/2025

09/07/2025

23/06/2025

17/06/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Heroes of Groote Schuur