New Gauteng health campaign focuses on empathy and patient dignity
Gauteng’s health workers are embracing a new campaign to bring kindness, empathy and respect back into healthcare.
The Gauteng Department of Health and Wellness officially launched the I Serve with a Smile campaign at Tambo Memorial Hospital on June 5.
The campaign, led by Gauteng MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, signals a new era of compassionate, respectful and patient-centred care across the province.
Addressing staff, patients and community members at the launch, Nkomo-Ralehoko said: “I Serve with a Smile is more than a feel-good initiative; it is a provincial commitment to put people first and to restore public trust in the healthcare system.
“This campaign is about more than service standards. It is about restoring dignity. It is about how we treat people, not just with medicine, but with kindness, empathy, and humanity.”
With the launch, Tambo Memorial joins a growing list of public healthcare facilities across Gauteng where the programme is now being implemented.
In preparation for the launch, Tambo Memorial began onboarding staff into the programme as early as 2023. Hospital management echoed the MEC’s sentiments.
“Serving with a smile is not just for quiet days or easy moments. It is a commitment to passion and professionalism, even in the toughest of circumstances,” said the hospital’s acting CEO, Dr Khulekani Shezi.
Key objectives of the campaign:
• Improve staff-patient communication and empathy
• Foster a respectful and supportive workplace culture
• Reduce complaints related to staff conduct
• Enhance professionalism and accountability
• Rebuild trust between the public and the healthcare system
