KZN MEC of Health Dr Dhlomo applauds CJM Hospital
Dr Dhlomo also commended hospital CEO, Margaret Khanyile, for the synergy that she enjoys with her senior management team and staff.
Charles Johnson Memorial Hospital (CMJ), in Nquthu, had an unexpected visit from Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC of Health on Thursday.
Dr Dhlomo gave CMJ staff members a pat on the back for running a tight ship. This was after he found the hospital ‘extremely clean and patients brimming with satisfaction’. He also had a chance to interact with patients in the waiting area, who were waiting to receive their cards.
Dr Dhlomo explained his observations upon arrival at CMJ: “It’s very heart-warming to make an unannounced visit to a facility and really find them doing the best of their best. As expected, I found a spotless hospital, internally and externally. I visited three areas; one was the Out-Patient Department, where I noticed patients had big smiles, waiting to receive their cards. Within two to three minutes, patients had already received their files. I further noticed that the room where files are kept was remarkably neat. This means that even if an adverse incident were to happen in the hospital, you’d be able to retrieve a patient’s file and attend to it promptly.”
CMJ Hospital maternity ward was awarded a silver award in the MEC’s Annual Service Excellence Awards (MASEAs). Dr Dhlomo saluted this ward for its excellent achievement and explained that this was the main reason for his visit.
Dr Dhlomo elaborated the reason behind his visit: “I wanted to visit this ward is that last week this hospital received a silver award for maternal outcomes. This was because out of their 3000 deliveries per annum, this hospital recorded only one death. If you observe the synergy between this hospital and the clinics it supports and the prevention programme within the hospital, it’s no wonder they have been so successful. This well-organised system is extremely important and is something that not only hospitals in and around Umzinyathi can learn from, but others in the province as well, so that they can also improve.
“This underpins our observation that in any facility, whether in education or in health, where there is good collective leadership you are likely to obtain good results. Something that is to be noticed is that they did not know I was coming. They saw me and I caught them doing good things, which is something you cannot attribute to the visit of the MEC.
It is a daily practice in this hospital. It’s also the consensus of the patients I spoke to. This is something to be commended and deserves recognition.”
Dr Dhlomo also commended hospital CEO, Margaret Khanyile, for the synergy that she enjoys with her senior management team and staff.
