During a recent interview with Bhekisisa, Groote Schuur Hospital CEO Dr Shaheem de Vries suggested that the hospital itself would be the more interesting subject, and that we should come back and speak to a spectrum of staff, from porters to medical managers. We did not need a second invitation. Writer Sean Christie and photographer Jay Caboz spent several days roaming around the hospital complex, enjoying a rare level of access.
Place of ambiguityWe meet outside the neoclassical facade of the old hospital, now known as Old Main Building. Wind shakes the heads of the forecourt palms, and a procession of caps, headwraps, hijabs and bucket hats go by. In a corner of a parking area, smokers stare at their feet. Nearby, outside the new Main Hospital, a few patched and bandaged patients sunbathe in wind shadows. A statue of Hygeia, daughter of Asclepius, the god of medicine, looks down on all.We head in, clear security and almost immediately become lost, ending up in the Heart of Cape Town Museum , which celebrates the first human-to-human heart transplant, performed right here by Christiaan Barnard.