Please tell me more about your department

The Clinical Forensic Unit is a dedicated centre delivering clinical forensic medicine services to an area stretching from Milnerton in the north down to Cape Point in the south. In short, we assist with cases where the field of medicine interacts with legal services and our findings can be presented in court as evidence.
We are a dedicated multidisciplinary team driven by passion to assist all patients in a sensitive, caring and fair manner when they are facing situations where violations of some sort have taken place. These patients can be either victims or alleged perpetrators.

What is the Staffing Structure of your unit?

The unit consists of a joint staffing of Rape Crisis Counsellors (NGO)and a group of Enrolled Nursing Assistants rotating between day and night shift, Sr Nonthuthu Ntwana, a trained Forensic Nurse Examiner Clinical Nurse Practitioner and Dr Esmé Swanepoel, a medical officer heading the unit.
There should always be a Rape Crisis counsellor as well as an ENA at the unit with Dr Swanepoel and Sr Ntwana present at the unit during office hours. We complement staffing of clinicians by utilizing experienced Clinical Forensic Trained doctors and Nurses. They are on call from home after hours and will be called for cases presenting after hours.

What services do you offer at Victoria Hospital?

I regard myself as a cross over between clinician, detective, advocate and counsellor. We provide containment counselling, medical and forensic examination and medical treatment for rape victims whilst ensuring that all stakeholders (SAPS, DSD, safehouses) are informed to provide a comprehensive service at the unit.
Further we see children for Form 7 evaluations and completion. These are usually for the social workers who need to present the forms to the Children’s Court in cases where safety placements need to be done. These occasionally entail age estimations where no birth certificate exists for children or adults.
Physical assaults cases (children and adults) where J88 forms must be completed and victims of Human Trafficking are also examined at the unit. The courts refer patients to the medical practitioner for a preliminary mental assessment if they have any doubt about the alleged perpetrator’s mental health as these affect their ability to testify in court. If any doubt, these patients are then referred to Valkenberg Hospital for forensic psychiatric evaluation.

What are your operating hours?

We run a 24-hour service as it is regarded as an emergency service.

Where can we find the Forensic Unit?

We are in the old Nursing Home adjacent to the top parking area for staff. It is a separate building to be found to the right on entering the main gate.

Please describe what a typical day is like in the Forensic unit at VHW

We have quiet days where we have the opportunity to complete our administrative duties seeing 4 patients with varying needs alternated with very busy days where we see 10 victims of rape and a few children brought in for Form 7 examinations and completions, compounded by perpetrators referred for mental examinations. We never know what our day will look like. Occasionally we testify in court on our findings.
Rape cases take an average of 90 minutes to examine and manage, not including the counselling time and the rapid testing times. As the quality of examination has a direct influence on the quality of evidence in court and the outcome of the case, there should never be a compromise made here. We give feedback to the specialized unit of SAPS, the “Family Violence, Child Protection & Sexual Offences Unit” on each case, and of course liaise with the social workers where safety concerns are identified.

What are the challenges that you face?

As a relatively small unit we have limited staffing. Of course, if one staff member falls ill, it has a great impact on the unit’s ability to handle a sudden influx of patients.
Every patient entering the unit presents with major social issues. Currently we do not have a social worker on site to assist and we as clinicians must take over that role. We are looking forward to welcoming staff from the National Prosecuting Authority SOCA unit to our site who will assist in this matter when we become a Thuthuzela Care Centre.

What are your short-term goals for your Unit?

We are determined to increase our footprint in the area by creating awareness and provide training and networking with other stakeholders.
We will be changing to a formal Thuthuzela Care Centre from the 1st of April. This means that the NPA are involved in patient (victim) care from the start ensuring a better outcome in the courts, hopefully more successful convictions. It is also their duty to ensure good collaboration between different stakeholders and they will monitor each case with a case manager.

What are your long-term goals for your unit?

We are steadily working towards impacting the community to curb GBV before it starts, interrupting the cycle of victims becoming perpetrators. We want to change the heart of the community, the family. I believe that with healthy families, we will see much less of the ill of society. If mothers and fathers treat each other well, children will feel safe and follow the example.

Please add anything interesting that you think is relevant to your department

We embrace our multi-cultural diversity of staff at the unit. We greet each other in a language different from our own during our weekly Friday meetings and have great fun with this. Come prepared with a smile and a greeting from another culture!

Can you tell us who you are and a little bit more about yourself?

I was born and raised in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth). I studied in Cape Town and then decided I wanted to move back to Cape Town after completing my community service year. I am married to a very patient man, Athienne, and we have a four-year-old son, Seth, who is very chatty. We also have two very energetic and loving dogs.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time, hobbies/sports?

I enjoy painting (oil mostly) and sketching (pastel, pencil). I love being outdoors with my family, so walking our dogs in the forest is regular activity for us. We also enjoy hiking and going to the beach. As a family, we love exploring the towns of the Western Cape, so we try to go away for weekends to visit these towns when possible.

What has been your career journey thus far?

I graduated in 2008 as a physiotherapist. I worked for two years at Livingstone Hospital in Gqerberha. I then moved back to Cape Town in 2011 and worked for Shonaquip CC as a seating therapist and disability equipment trainer. Thereafter, I worked at Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre (WCRC) for ten years, I was a physiotherapist for seven and half years and then went on to be the bed manager for the last two and a half years. And now I am at Victoria as QA Manager. I have also been a clinical educator and ad-hoc lecturer for UCT.

What is your vision as a QA manager at VHW?
To have a high-quality service for our patients, that is consultative and inclusive of both the staff and the patient.

How was your first 3 weeks at VHW been? And are you settling in nicely?
I have had a good first three weeks while I have been trying to find my feet in a brand-new role and facility. Everyone has been friendly and welcoming. I definitely feel the Vic family atmosphere!

Please share a fun fact about Tarryn Summerton
I am currently sporting a full set of braces under my mask.

Can you tell us who you are and a little bit more about yourself?

My name is Mary Ann Dubru-Shunmugam. I am of Indian descent born and bred in the sugar cane fields of KZN. I am cool and confident; dynamic and opiniated; diplomatic and understanding – all wrapped into one…I often introduce myself as being Sugar and Spice!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time, hobbies/sports?

I enjoy travelling, comedy shows, live theatre, reading, deep conversations and old souls. I love coffeeshops and bookstores. I often have to restrain myself from buying yet another book as I have so many!

When and where did you start your nursing career?

I started my nursing career as a neophyte student Nurse in 1999 at the Nico Malan Nursing College. but in retrospect the last 23 years in Nursing has truly defined me as a person.

What has been your career journey thus far?

I spent a few years as a student nurse – I travelled around the Metropole during my training as a student nurse. I was then employed as a Registered Nurse in 2003 by Groote Schuur Hospital. My intention was to stay a year, get experience at a large tertiary academic hospital and move back home to my family. Fast forward to 2022, Cape Town is now my home. I started off working as a junior Registered Nurse in trauma and Emergency Units. Never one to shy away from a challenge, I put my hand up when the hospital was looking for a transplant Coordinator. In retrospect, this was probably the most difficult job I have ever had to do.
I spent a few years as the Night Matron, dealing with all operational Issues on Night Duty. I decided to apply for the post of Deputy Nurse Manager: Critical Care Units (ICU, Theatre, Trauma & Emergency, CSSD) of which I was successful. I spent the last few years in this capacity until I moved to VHW.

Can you share some of the reasons why you transferred from GSH to VHW?

I was looking for diversity having been at a tertiary hospital. I was curious to see what the other side of the healthcare system looked like.

What is your vision as the nursing manager at VHW?

The one thing that really keeps me grounded and thinking is to make Victoria Hospital a place in which the community would want to be treated, where there are high standards and high-quality care. I am part of this community who will also benefit from making this service bigger and better. At the end of the day, it’s all about how you made me feel when I was at my most vulnerable.

Please name two people who had the greatest impact on your nursing career

My husband and family-they are my biggest cheerleaders.

Please share a fun fact about yourself

I used to have long hair which used to fall below my knees. My mom cried when I had it chopped off.

What have you learnt while working at Victoria Hospital?

I arrived for medical internship at Victoria Hospital in 2009. Thereafter I was fortunate to do six months of my community service year in Victoria Hospital ‘casualty’ followed by six months at Retreat Community Health Centre. I then I worked as a locum in Victoria Hospital EC for 2012/2013 and started in a psychiatry medical officer post towards the end of 2013.
I’ve come to accept that difficulties are a certainty for all. We have a privileged glimpse into our patients physical and mental challenges – snapshots of their life journeys. Despite difficulty, the human spirit is resilient and inspiring. I have marveled at the capacity of the individual to get up and face the day despite the odds. This inspires me to do more and be better. It sounds like a cliché but I am inspired!

Could you share a personal highlight you’ve experienced at Victoria Hospital?

Too many to choose from…each day has been a colourful variety show of highlights and lowlights! We always say to our wonderful consultant, Dr Ashman, prior to our twice-weekly consultant round: “Boy, do we have variety for you today!”
On low-energy days I listen to music I love en route to work. Around the time of Johnny Clegg’s death, I was listening to ‘The Crossing’ loudly every morning (his lyrics and music sung by a collection of South African musicians in his honour). I was still humming the tune during my morning in the old overnight ward (I had a strange fondness for that ward) and unprompted, and to great mutual joy, one of our wonderful nurses holding on to the phone at the counter picked up on my tune and started singing the words to it: “O siyeza, o siyeza, sizofika webaba noma” – “Oh I’m coming, I’ll be coming, you know the tide is turning”. A highlight moment for me.

What will you miss?

• The blank canvas of an entirely unpredictable, fast-paced and challenging but rewarding day of service
• The frequent privilege of the raw human story and the humbling perspective it brings
• Sharing the space and sharing the load with magnificent colleagues: Knowing looks, an extra set of hands, “do you agree?”, “what do you think about this?”, being worn out together, MUTUAL KNOWING, and of course, the dark humour!
• Striving to exceed expectations of patients and their families (trumping the service of our private colleagues!)

Any last words for the staff?

“It is a constant challenge to meet expectations of colleagues and management as well as all our patients and their families each and every day. At times of overwhelming demand, a natural strategy evolved for me: I practiced pausing for just a second, sometimes closing my eyes briefly to return to a place of presence, smiled (even with my mask on!), greeted sincerely, and offered an apology sounding something like: “Im really sorry but I cannot solve this for you now”, and learnt to move on.

Finally, a simple thank-you to each and every individual contributing to the vibe of Victoria Hospital. That vibe is welcoming, sincere, collaborative, hard-working, ethical, ‘extra-mile’, community oriented. We make ourselves available to each other, and through our service, to our community. Our journeys are all different but when we arrive at work we come together on the same page – it has been a privilege to be part of a team with such spirit for serving together. Thank you for sharing the space with me.”