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The Tygerberg Children's Hospital as part of the Tygerberg Academic Health complex is one of the outstanding hospitals working with HIV and Aids patients. With the agreement of provincial authorities and the permission of the hospital, HOPE Cape Town Association was co-located in this facility in 2001.  Among the local and early HIV and Aids NGOs operating in South Africa, this close level of program and physical cooperation remains unique.  The Hospital provides an office on the Ithemba ward, as well as training, consultation and storage space. 

The Ithemba (or “Hope” in Xhosa) ward has a total of 24 beds.  The ward is dedicated to children with infectious diseases.  This term is used rather than HIV or Aids in order to reduce the reality of the stigma of HIV and Aids in South Africa.   The children admitted to the ward stay for as little as a few ways to many months at a time.  To provide comprehensive care and facilitate treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association enables care givers – mothers, fathers, grandparents and siblings – to remain in the hospital with patients during their stay by providing basic food and sleeping facilities.

In other ways HOPE Cape Town Association has assisted the Ithemba Ward to upgrade other facilities beyond the parameters of the hospital budget.  Recent improvements include equipping the ward kitchen with a microwave, kettle and kitchen utensils, adding partitions around beds (much appreciated by older patients), stocking mattresses and linen for caregivers, arranging for a play room with toys, scheduling volunteers to read and play with patients, paying for HIV and Aids training for nursing staff, incorporating wall decorations, and, of course, the HOPE Cape Town office is always a friendly place to visit just down the hall.