UCT Surgical Society’s annual Scrub Run needs your donation

It’s that time of the year again. The highly anticipated Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is around the corner and the University of Cape Town (UCT) Surgical Society (SurgSoc) is calling on all running enthusiasts and members of the public to help raise funds for Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. The event will take place on Saturday, 16 October.

Last year, the group of medical and non‑medical students managed to raise R100 000 for the hospital’s emergency centre expansion project. This year SurgSoc hopes to surpass that figure, but they need your help to reach their goal.

Tradition dictates that participants dress up in medical scrubs and takkies and take to the streets of Cape Town for a 5 km or 10 km peace Scrub Run, and this year will be no different. For the second consecutive year, all proceeds will go towards the hospital’s emergency centre expansion project. The funds will aid in creating a safe space for paediatric patients and will facilitate their health and well-being.

A dedicated paediatric facility

The emergency centre at Red Cross Children’s Hospital is currently the only dedicated paediatric emergency facility in southern Africa. About 45 000 children are treated there annually, and receive excellent, around‑the‑clock medical care.

But the centre faces several limitations, including space constraints. The much‑needed expansion project will include upgrades to the resuscitation area and will also go towards building additional consulting rooms. Other projects in the pipeline include adding a specialised burns unit, isolation and decontamination rooms, and a treatment and calming room for victims of violence.  

Get involved

The SurgSoc’s Buhle Dube said the idea behind the event is to collect donations for every kilometre that participants complete. The initiative will once again use the GivenGain platform, which allows donors to make contributions directly into the charity’s account.

Dube urged members of the campus community to get involved and to encourage their family and friends to join as well.

“Our dream as the Surgical Society is to ensure that all patients have access to the medical care they need to help create health systems that put patients first. We are incredibly excited about this initiative and would be very grateful if you would consider donating to this worthwhile cause,” said Dube.