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

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

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.