GROOTE SCHUUR INTERNS TACKLE GBV

In recognition of Women’s Month, 50 medical interns received training on screening for intimate partner violence and administering rape kits.

IN RECOGNITION of Women’s Month, 50 medical interns at Groote Schuur Hospital received specialised training on how to sensitively screen for intimate partner violence (IPV) and administer a rape kit.

Executive Director at Groote Schuur Hospital Trust, Kristy Evans, said the programme changed how their healthcare workers respond, with compassion and care.

“Every day, women walk into our hospitals carrying more than illness. Many carry the silent weight of violence. This intervention gives them a moment of safety, of being seen and supported, often for the first time.

“The scourge of gender-based violence (GBV) and IPV can be defeated when we work together, drawing on the strength of partnerships, building awareness, and ensuring every person in the healthcare system knows what to look out for,” she said.

Evans said she is hopeful the initiative will be expanded to every hospital in the province.

Health and Wellness MEC, Mireille Wenger, said Groote Schuur medical interns join hundreds of doctors, nurses, clerks, and even cleaners at Groote Schuur and Mitchell’s Plain Hospitals who have already been trained to provide compassionate, trauma-informed care to survivors of violence.

The IPV Intervention Project was launched by the provincial health and wellness department in 2022, which aims to make early intervention possible through routine screening for IPV, conducted by specially trained nurses.

According to the Provincial Health and Wellness department, nearly 30 000 women have been screened at Groote Schuur and Mitchell’s Plain Hospitals.

“These routine screenings offer a critical opportunity to identify and support women, many of whom seek medical help long before disclosing any abuse. Early engagement can be the first step toward safety and healing,” said Wenger.

The programme takes an integrated approach to care, where patients are screened using a simple 7-question digital survey.

Those who screen positive are offered immediate onsite counselling or can choose to receive information on how to access help later.

Healthcare workers may also refer suspected cases directly to an on-site GBV social worker.

Referrals are made, where needed, to external services such as the police service, shelters, or legal support.

Follow-up with patients takes place two to three weeks after the initial counselling session.

“It’s already making a difference, more than 1 200 women chose to receive counselling after screening, and 418 were referred to external support partners,” Wenger said.

“Following the success of the programme at Groote Schuur and Mitchells Plain Hospitals, the Groote Schuur Hospital Trust is now exploring how to expand the intervention to hospitals across the province, where plans are under way to launch this programme at Heideveld Community Health Centre later this year.”