I wanted to post something useful along with this image - like a map that shows where all the dumping grounds in and around Cape Town are - but, upon finding the information and maps on our City of Cape Town site, I decided that the content quality was too poor and it was just too embarrassing to send you there. Sorry. :(
What I did find was an interesting directory on the Western Cape Government site (operated separately to the City of Cape Town site). The directory appears to list all kinds of Western Cape government departments and services along with contact numbers, addresses, and email addresses and opening times. The site's presentation is (at the time of writing) a little old-school, but the content appears really useful and easy to consume - which is what we want, isn't it?
A few people who commented on the photo posted yesterday were correct in guessing that the shot was taken in a hospital - a government hospital, Karl Bremer, to be exact. As I walked the corridors on Friday afternoon, I recalled that the last time I'd been in the hospital was when my sister was born, about 30 years ago. I was very young at the time, but I remember sitting in the waiting room while my dad visited my mom, who'd just given birth.
There was less excitement associated with this visit though. My 70-year-old dad suffered a heart attack at about 12h00 while he was doing some hard labour trying to find an underground water leak at his home. My mom took him through to the doctor, who immediately called an ambulance, realising that my dad's condition was life-threatening. Upon arrival at the hospital his heart in fact stopped, but fortunately the doctor attending to him in the trauma unit managed to massage his heart back to life. The next few hours were tense as we waited for the drugs to take effect; and by the grace of God he managed to pull through.
In closing, I thought I'd provide a point-form commentary on my experience of Karl Bremer Hospital:
- Admission to the trauma unit (from the ambulance) is fast.
- The process to follow at reception is confusing and slow.
- The trauma doctor on duty was knowledgeable, courteous, and professional.
- The sisters in the trauma unit were firm, yet lenient enough, and professional.
- The sisters in the ICU were well-organised and paid close attention to their patients.
- The building was neat, but old and in need of renewal.
- The security staff were friendly and helpful.