Groote Schuur Hospital Welcomes Golf Carts Donation

In addition to the two golf carts that are already used to assist with patient transport at Groote Schuur Hospital, the Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, today received two new golf carts from the Wembley Group. The new carts are valued at R90 000 and the group will also employ two drivers to assist with patient transport after-hours.

The group's sponsorship of service repairs to the existing golf carts is valued at R115 000.

The four-seater and six-seater golf carts will be used from the entrance on the E-floor in the new main building of the hospital to transport patients and visitors to the various wards and lifts of the hospital.

The drivers are well trained and know the hospital inside out so this service assists in getting patients and visitors to the correct areas of the hospital timeously, especially those people who need assistance in walking long distances.

Minister Botha said that the Western Cape Government Health is grateful for every contribution that improves the patients' experience at public hospitals: "Public money simply cannot pay for the kind of gift that we are receiving today - golf carts."

The golf carts are used to transport day patients, in-patients and also visitors. The E-floor in the main building is a large floor and it can be very tiring to walk down the long passages; therefore, the drivers of the golf carts drive down the passage to identify patients and visitors who have difficulty walking and take them to their destination.

The story of the Wembley Group's donation dates back to 1995, when the group initially donated one golf cart to the hospital. Four years later they donated another one and this year they donated two golf carts.

Minister Botha referred to the important role that the hospital facility board played in the facilitation of the donation: "Mr Abdullah Gangraker is the director of the Wembley Group and also a hospital board member, and in this capacity he could facilitate this donation."

"Hospital facility board members are really in a strong position to identify and address the niche challenges that a hospital poses," said Minister Botha.