Leah, a woman of change
Women's month is implemented to celebrate all the brave, hardworking and ambitious women of South Africa and one example of such a woman is our very own Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mokopane Hospital, Leah Magagane, who takes the health of our residents very seriously.
MOKOPANE – Leah is a strong believer that women are not inferior to men.
“As women we are caretakers. Especially in the health sector, we need women to stand up and be frontiers of influencing transformation. We can be the voices of the voiceless, especially children. This is our month.”
She grew up in Modimolle but currently resides in Mokopane with her husband and has three boys. She matriculated at Reholegile High School in Zebediela and studied at Groothoek Nursing College in Mankweng where she got her general nursing, community, psychiatry and midwifery diploma’s.
Leah had a great journey before she achieved the position of CEO at Mokopane Hospital. She says: “I can remember when I was a young girl my sister used to be a nurse. I wanted to become one too because I liked the way they dress with caps and white clothes. When I entered the profession I knew I made the right choice. I now have a passion driven career.”
She started working as a professional nurse at Mokopane Hospital in 1996 for six months and then moved to Voortrekker Hospital until 2005.
“I am very curious and I wanted to know more about my career and the difference in health care in South Africa and abroad. I then decided to go and work in England.” She worked as a nurse at University Hospital Lewisham in Lewisham and at Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington. She came back in 2009 and started working at Netcare Unitas Hospital in Gauteng to have a taste of the private health sector. In between, she studied for her BTech degree in occupational health and diploma in nursing administration at the Tshwane University of Technology in Gauteng. In 2013 she went back to Voortrekker Hospita as an Operation Manager and then accepted the post, which was seconded by the hospital, of Nurse Manager at Mokopane Hospital in 2016. While working there the position of CEO opened up and she decided to grab the opportunity.
“As a Nurse Manager at Mokopane Hospital I was shocked by the state the nurses and the caring of patients were in. I just wanted to change it for the better and plough back. In England, I built up so much knowledge that I brought back home.
“Their health care system is incredible. I was so impressed by them and I wish that South Africa could rise up to their standards.
For example, when a patient gets admitted to hospital in England they organise to take care of not only that patient, but also everything including animals at his or her home.
They want their patients to relax and recover without worrying.
“She further boasts about the legacy she left at Voortrekker Hospital. They built the Voortrekker Gateway Clinic. “Usually people think of Voortrekker Hospital as the better hospital, but many sceptical residents also give us a try.”
Leah is very proud of her position as CEO but believes that it is not an easy task.
“I love what I do, but we also need help from all sectors, especially private sectors. The people of Mokopane entrusted their health in my hands so I am inviting business people, especially men, to be part of the hospital’s growth. I am ready to take the hospital to the level of Medi Clinic and Netcare.
“My vision for the hospital is to see it as it should be and be rated according to private hospitals and not public hospitals. I also want our hospital to implement National Health Insurance. There is a lot of things that have to be fixed and we need the help of the community and private sectors.”
Even though she is not nursing anymore she believes that she will always stay a nurse. According to her she experienced many things in her lifetime of nursing. She says that tuberculosis is as big of a problem as HIV/Aids.
“At the moment we have a lot of TB cases at the hospital. According to me, it is even worse than HIV/Aids because with HIV/Aids you can try and prevent it but with TB even a person standing in front of you at a shop can have it and you won’t even know you’re breathing it in.
“TB is killing us and people out there should be educated more about this illness.” She invites residents to visit the Mokopane Hospital for free TB screenings.
Leah is driven by the commitment to bring about change and being the voice of people. She wants to carry this message out to all the women.
