New Christiaan Barnard hopes to keep same caring approach
FOR more than 15 years I have worked as a surgeon at the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital in the heart of Cape Town’s city centre. Originally called “City Park Hospital”, it was renamed in 2001.
On Friday, I discharged my last patient from the old institution.
In the ward at 7am, just as the handover from the night staff to the day staff was occurring, I couldn’t help overhearing their conversation. They were sad. There was a feeling of the end of an era.
Last night, at a lavish, glittering function, the new hospital was officially opened.
It’s at a slightly different, up-and-coming desirable address (on the Foreshore) and promises to be a state-of-the-art institution. It will boast the first helipad with swift access to emergency services in the heartbeat of town.
The evening was dedicated to the extraordinary career of Chris Barnard, with a documentary about the first heart transplant that was done at Groote Schuur Hospital 49 years ago.
His family, along with some of the original theatre team, received awards and were present with Dr Friedland and Professor Nomafrench Mbombo, the MEC for Health, who cut the ribbon.
The emphasis of the evening was on the future of cardiac transplantation. There was little time for reflection on what the hospital had achieved and on the many other medical services offered.
Our old hospital was not in a beautiful building. It had seen a lot of wear and tear over the years and was in need of an upgrade.
What had made me proud to work there, however, was the attitude of the staff. It’s a friendly hospital made up of people who care. I am not just talking about the nurses. I am talking about the porters, the admin staff, the management, the hostesses and other medical personnel.
The hospital I know is not a cardiac transplant hospital. It’s a multidisciplinary institution.
On the surgical side, there are surgeons specialising in orthopaedics, urology (including robotic surgery), vascular procedures, ENT, neurosurgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, trauma, ophthalmology, maxillofacial surgery and breast surgery. There’s also a successful renal transplant programme. There are a number of obstetricians and gynaecologists with a specialised paediatric ICU. On the non-surgical side, there are many physicians, each with their own areas of expertise. The last few months have been very difficult and very busy. I would like to thank my colleagues and patients for their patience.
Cape Town looks forward to explosive economic growth and welcomes developments that add lustre to the new, glittering future. It would be prudent to take time to reflect on what has been achieved through a multifaceted team and ensure the caring attitude is not lost.