Cape Town - The sounds of Christmas carols and familiar local songs wafted through the corridors and wards of Groote Schuur Hospital, as healthcare workers and staff distributed care packages to hundreds of its in-patients unable to be home this festive season.
The annual tradition of gift-giving by the Groote Schuur Hospital Facilities Board and through the assistance of sponsors, accompanied by a local band, took place on Thursday.
The evening prior, several hospital staff and some of their family members spent hours preparing the 850 large packages filled with food and hygiene products, to be distributed to all of the hospital’s in-patients the following morning.
One of the recipients, Hope Kalala, 19, from Plattekloof, was admitted to the hospital on Monday for seizures.
“I feel happy and it lifted my spirit because, sitting here all bored doing nothing, alone and this was just amazing.
“The music was so full of harmony, it was amazing.”
Groote Schuur Hospital social worker of 32 years and board member, Lungi Hlakudi, said: “Groote Schuur Hospital is a public hospital and what we see here is what is happening in different communities. Our people are really facing a lot of social challenges, financial challenges so as a Board, we thought we needed to put smiles on the patients faces because most of these patients who are in the wards, they’ve got different chronic illnesses and unfortunately most of them won’t be able to spend Christmas time and New Year with their loved ones.”
The initiative was started around ten years ago, he added.
Member of the hospital’s Entertainment Committee, Nadine Ross said it is an initiative staff and the Groote Schuur Hospital Facilities Board all felt passionate about.
Recipients had the option to keep their weighty goodie bag with them or send it home with family.
Ricardo Martin from Bonteheuwel played the saxophone as part of the band.
He said the band comprised a group of friends from bands from all across Cape Town.
“There was a group called Heideveld Independent Christmas band that used to play here all the years. They first started at the Oncology Department for cancer. Sadly, almost all of those members have passed on and I'm still part of the younger generation that was part of the band. We are all representing the band that used to play here, years back… As I was walking through the wards, I felt a little bit emotional. Emotional in a good way.
“Because you see people laying there and they just hear the sound of music and then all of a sudden, they are jumping, they are trying to make a movement and that's what makes us feel more motivated to carry on.”