In Practice
The mechanics of setting up a COVID-19 response: Experiences of the COVID-19 epidemic from Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has challenged the provision of healthcare in ways that are unprecedented in our lifetime. Planning for the sheer numbers expected during the surge has required public hospitals to de-escalate all non-essential clinical services to focus on COVID-19. Western Cape Province was the initial epicentre of the COVID-19 epidemic in South Africa (SA), and the Cape Town metro was its hardest-hit geographical region. We describe how we constructed our COVID-19 hospital-wide clinical service at Groote Schuur Hospital, the University of Cape Town’s tertiary-level teaching hospital. By describing the barriers and enablers, we hope to provide guidance rather than a blueprint for hospitals elsewhere in SA and in low-resource countries that face similar challenges now or during subsequent waves.
Authors' affiliations
M Mendelson, Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
L Booyens, Groote Schuur Hospital, Western Cape Department of Health, South Africa
A Boutall, Division of General Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
L Cairncross, Division of General Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
G Calligaro, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Pulmonology, Groote Schuur Hospital, Western Cape Province Department of Health, South Africa
J A Dave, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Endocrinology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
S Dlamini, Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
S Dyer, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
B Eick, Groote Schuur Hospital, Western Cape Department of Health, South Africa
K Fieggen, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
P Frankenfeld, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
J Hoare, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
R Hofmeyr, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
J Joska, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
I Joubert, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
R Krause, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
A Kropman, Division of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
D Levin, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Gastroenterology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
D Maughan, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
G Meintjes, Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
E Muller, Division of General Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
N Ntusi, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
N Papavarnavas, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
B Patel, Groote Schuur Hospital, Western Cape Department of Health, South Africa
J Peter, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
P Raubenheimer, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Q Said-Hartley, Department of Radiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
P Singh, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
S Wasserman, Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
on behalf of the Groote Schuur Hospital COVID-19 Response Team, Groote Schuur Hospital COVID-19 Response Team
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Date published: 2020-09-07
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