Excavating The Soul Of Iconic Groote Schuur Hospital Africa with Dr Shaheem de Vries

Wasafiri Africa Podcast · Feb 17, 2026 · 1h 5m

At the foot of Table Mountain, sits Iconic Groote Schuur hospital. Although the name loosely translates to Big Barn in Dutch, Groote Schuur has distinguished itself as anything but, with six global firsts in medicine. These include the first human to human heart transplant, fallopian tube transplant and non-invasive brain tumor detection. As a premier tertiary academic hospital in South Africa, Groote Schuur is a beloved landmark in Cape Town.

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The opportunity to have a conversation with Dr Shaheem de Vries, happened organically. Ruth’s long interest in the iconic Groote Schuur Hospital, had…