Celebrating 70 Years of the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital

Yaeesh Collins | Published 2 hours ago

The tarmac at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town vibrated with a joyous, triumphant celebration of life on Thursday, as the beloved institution commemorated its 70th anniversary with a stunning public gathering.

At the start of the day, the entryways were filled with the beautiful faces of children, parents, retired staff, and community members who gathered to honour a facility that has been a cornerstone of South African paediatric healthcare since 1956 .

Christal Bastian, Deputy Manager for Nursing, opened the morning celebrations with a formal tribute read aloud to a crowd of staff, donors, and long-serving institutional veterans.

"To the patient, you are our guiding star, the reason we've come so far. To the caregivers, you are steady, strong, and through, and to the staff, you gave them all anew. To parents, waiting with hope in hand. Seven decades later, lives made whole. The hospital has one great soul. Years to the years still yet to be, still serving, loving endlessly," Bastian said.

Mitch Matyana, who steered the programme forward, invited hospital chief executive officer Dr Anita Parbhoo to the podium. Stepping up to address the crowd, Dr. Parbhoo shared how the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital’s 70th anniversary represents:

"70 years of saving children's lives. 70 years of caring. 70 years of healing. And 70 years of hope."

Dr Parbhoo noted that everyone at Red Cross has a story, explaining that for some, the hospital is where a child received life-saving treatment, while for others, it was where they found comfort during the most difficult days of their lives.

She gave profound thanks to the families for placing their "most precious gift, your children," in the hands of the medical teams, describing trust as a "sacred" obligation that inspires the staff to "do better, to be better, and to never lose sight of why we are here."

In a heartwarming moment, Dr. Parbhoo paused to celebrate a special coincidence, announcing to the crowd that two patients were sharing a birthday today.

A baby marking their very first year, and an eleven-year-old child celebrating just down the hall.

Reaaz Ahmed, chairperson of the Hospital Facility Board, addressed the crowd, reflecting on his own personal history, which began twenty-seven years ago when he walked into the building as a teenager to take his very first job in the pharmacy department.

Ahmed described the hospital as an inseparable part of his life and a place of absolute community where, to borrow a phrase from his football team, "you will never walk alone."

He spoke of togetherness despite challenges and difficulties; a bond that, for Mr Ahmed, has defined the Hospital's journey while observing the victories as a collective unit.

Chantel Cooper , CEO of the Children’s Hospital Trust, gestured toward Ekua, a young woman in the crowd. Cooper, who had no speech planned, found it through Ekua. Ekua survived a tragic hijacking as an infant in which her father and brother were killed, and she was brought to the hospital, where specialists successfully pulled her back from the brink of death.

Today, Ekua stands as the youngest inspector in the South African Police Service, returning to the seventieth anniversary to actively give back to the very space that saved her life.

Cooper told the crowd that Ekua is "one of the most inspirational women that I know in a very short time," explaining that she was "born for a reason, was saved for a reason, and is literally going to change other lives," because of the care she received from an incredible team.

In a personal interview conducted on the sidelines of the celebrations, Cooper discussed the long-term vision of the trust to IOL and its alignment with Youth Month. Cooper said, "Red Cross represents hope, future," referencing Ekua as an excellent example of an inspirational young woman who has turned her life around.

Looking forward, Cooper explained that children will always need a hospital, and detailed the strategic plan to expand this specific model of public healthcare far beyond Cape Town.

She revealed that what the Trust has been trying to do in the last thirty years is "create a space where children are not scared within a hospital" because a hospital can inherently be a terrifying place.

She stated that the vision for the next seventy years is to establish Red Cross spaces across the entire province, partnering with health facilities across the Western Cape so that "no matter what space a child enters, they feel safe and they know they're going to be cared for."

Cooper also championed the frontline medical workforce, stating that she is "probably one of the biggest fans of nurses across the health systems," describing them as "some of the most undervalued human beings who are at the front line literally saving lives" through exceptionally long hours with very little public appreciation.

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