Groote Schuur Hospital

{{Short description|Teaching hospital in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

{{Use South African English|date=November 2012}}

{{Primary sources|date=June 2007}}

{{Infobox hospital

| Name = Groote Schuur Hospital

| Org/Group = Western Cape Department of Health

| Image = Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, Western Cape. 05.JPG

| Caption = Old Main Building of Groote Schuur Hospital

| map_type = Cape Town

| coordinates = {{coord|33|56|29|S|18|27|46|E|display=inline,title}}

| map_caption = Shown in Cape Town

| Location = Observatory

| Region = Cape Town

| State = Western Cape

| Country = South Africa

| HealthCare = Department of Health

| Funding = Public

| Type = District General, Teaching

| Emergency = Yes, Major Trauma Centre

| Affiliation = University of Cape Town

| Beds = 893{{cite web |url=http://www.westerncape.gov.za/Text/2009/3/fast_facts_gsh_jan09.pdf |title=Groote Schuur Hospital: Fast Facts |publisher=Provincial Government of the Western Cape |access-date=29 September 2009}}

| Founded = 1938

| Website = {{URL|http://www.westerncape.gov.za/gsh}}

}}

Groote Schuur Hospital is a large government-funded teaching hospital situated on the slopes of Devil's Peak in the city of Cape Town, South Africa. It was founded in 1938 and is famous for being the institution where the first human-to-human heart transplant took place, conducted by University of Cape Town-educated surgeon Christiaan Barnard on the patient Louis Washkansky.

Groote Schuur is the chief academic hospital of the University of Cape Town's medical school, providing tertiary care and instruction in all the major branches of medicine. The hospital underwent major extension in 1984 when two new wings were added. As such, the old main building now mainly houses several academic clinical departments as well as a museum about the first human heart transplant.

The hospital is known for its trauma unit, anaesthesiology and internal medicine departments. Groote Schuur attracts many visiting medical students, residents and specialists each year who come to gain experience in various fields. As December 2006, the hospital employed over 500 doctors, 1300 nurses and 250 allied health professionals.[http://www.westerncape.gov.za/gsh Groote Schuur Hospital: Overview]

Groote Schuur is Dutch for 'Great Barn' and is named after the original Groote Schuur estate laid out by Dutch settlers when the city of Cape Town was founded in the 17th century.

The hospital was declared a Western Cape Provincial Heritage Site in 1996.{{cite web|title=9/2/018/0153|url=http://www.sahra.org.za/node/16750|publisher=South African Heritage Resources Agency|access-date=7 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228111306/http://www.sahra.org.za/node/16750|archive-date=28 February 2014|url-status=dead}}

The N2, merged with the M3, bends around the hospital and Table Mountain National Park on a massive uphill 10-lane highway. This intersection has been named Hospital Bend due to its proximity to the hospital.