The mechanics of setting up a COVID-19 response: Experiences of the COVID-19 epidemic from Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa

• Published in: South African medical journal Vol. 110; no. 10; p. 968
• Main Authors: Mendelson, M, Booyens, L, Boutall, A, Cairncross, L, Calligaro, G, Dave, J A, Dlamini, S, Dyer, S, Eick, B, Fieggen, K, Frankenfeld, P, Hoare, J, Hofmeyr, R, Joska, J, Joubert, I, Krause, R, Kropman, A, Levin, D, Maughan, D, Meintjes, G, Muller, E, Ntusi, N, Papavarnavas, N, Patel, B, Peter, J, Raubenheimer, P, Said-Hartley, Q, Singh, P, Wasserman, S, Covid-Response Team, On Behalf Of The Groote Schuur Hospital
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: South Africa Health & Medical Publishing Group 01-10-2020
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus; Care and treatment; Control; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - therapy; COVID-19; Electronic Health Records - organization & administration; Emergency preparedness; Emergency Service, Hospital - organization & administration; Epidemics; Health care teams; Hospital administration; Hospitals, University - organization & administration; Humans; Intensive Care Units - organization & administration; Materials Management, Hospital; Methods; Pandemics; Patient Care Team; Pneumonia, Viral - diagnosis; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - therapy; SARS-CoV-2; Secondary Care Centers; South Africa - epidemiology; Tertiary Care Centers - organization & administration; South Africa
• ISSN: 0256-9574; 2078-5135
• DOI: 10.7196/SAMJ.2020.v110i10.15215

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.