Cape Town healthcare workers experience HOPEtober open-top bus concert

Frontline workers and patients at various Cape Town hospitals were treated to a concert on Tuesday where musicians performed on a red double-decker, open-top bus.

The HOPEtober campaign, sponsored by Adcock Ingram OTC, is aimed at encouraging people to instill hope through simple acts of kindness.

“HOPEtober started with the idea or creation in mind, dedicating the month of October towards restoring hope for all South Africans,” said Adcock Ingram OTC spokesperson, Yudhveer Singh.

The bus ferried musicians to several hospitals in Cape Town where they sang songs of hope for 20 minutes. Patients and workers sang along and danced.

“This is such an amazing initiative. It shows appreciation to these healthcare workers. They were our first line of defence against the Covid-19 pandemic which we are still fighting… This brings some sort of joy and hope to these individuals,” said Singh.

Nicole Capper, Leah van Niekerk, Lynelle Kenned, Namisa Mdlalose and Keeno Lee Hector, together with MC and vocalist Mortimer Williams were the stars of the show.

Williams said taking part in the event was one of the best things he did in his 26-year career.

“It’s such a beautiful thing [that] we’re doing. Amazing vocalists just paying tribute and saying thank you to each and every staff member at hospitals and just showing them that you know we do care, we are here for them,” said Williams.

For Rachel Hanslo, a cleaner at Groote Schuur Hospital, the best part of the day was when all the staff members came together to dance.

“It was stress relieving because all those months we were stressed…Everybody’s here… Engineers, nurses, doctors, supervisors of cleaners, clerks, everybody,” she said.

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