Meet Dr Jatin Ganda, the acting CEO of Bertha Gxowa Hospital
Dr Jatin Ganda talks on the importance of ethics in the health department.
Occupying the role of a chief executive officer (CEO) is no new task for Dr Jatin Ganda, the acting CEO of Bertha Gxwoa Hospital, who was requested to assist the hospital as of April 1.
Ganda previously acted as CEO for the South Rand Hospital from August 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015, and was appointed as the CEO for Carletonville Hospital from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2018.
Ganda obtained his medical degree (MBChB) from the Medical University of South Africa (Medunsa).
He completed his internship at Helen Joseph Hospital and served his community service at the Carletonville Hospital where he also became a medical officer for two years.
Ganda went on to specialise in internal medicine and was a medical registrar on the Witwatersrand circuit and finished in 2009.
Just as he had previously attempted in his second year of studies at Medunsa, Ganda attempted to pursue a career away from medicine and after two years in private practice in an introduction to management, he returned to the health department.
ALSO READ: Nurses at Bertha Gxowa picket during their lunch hour
Ganda had just been at Bertha Gxowa for a month when trade unions the National Health, Education and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu) and the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) requested that nurses picket during their lunchtimes due to unpaid bonuses for the year 2016/17.
“Some of our staff members came in and asked me if they could picket, I granted them permission with the understanding that the picketing would not be disruptive,” said Ganda.
“However, that condition was broken as emergency services were not permitted to go in and out of the hospital on one occasion, and I requested a court interdict.”
Speaking on the quality of the service provided by the health department and the recent pickets Ganda said that these incidents revealed the loss of professionalism in the department.
“The reason I focused on becoming a CEO is that I believe we need better quality healthcare.
“If we are not providing proper care then we are not doing what we are supposed to be doing.
“There are various reasons why the department has deteriorated over the years and many will blame salaries and work conditions, but the truth is our nurses and doctors have stopped being empathetic.
“A lot of the complaints we receive are attitude related and if your attitude is poor, chances are the service you render may potentially be compromised.
“Being part of administration will allow me to have a bigger impact in remedying a system which has been underperforming,” said Ganda.
ALSO READ: Community health workers still marginalised
Speaking to the GCN Ganda spoke fondly of Prof Rafiq Essop from the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital whom he met during his time in cardiology.
“Prof Essop told me that although he could teach me technical skills and lists of causes and theories in medicine, I could very well just read those without his help.
“The important role he wanted to play was to teach me ethical practice.
“Ethical or moral behaviour is not something you read but you learn from others,” said Ganda.
When he’s not driving around familiarising himself with Germiston or implementing administration changes at the hospital, Ganda attends Saturday classes to learn more about medical-legal practice.
With his six months tenure, Ganda hopes his contributions will leave the hospital in a better state.
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