A tribute to fallen heroes
PARKTOWN – Healthcare workers steering the ship were honoured for their bravery in the face of the Covid-19 storm.
The healthcare staff at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital were given a tribute like no other.
The staff gathered at the hospital in Parktown to witness the launch of the Garden of Recovery. Head of nursing at the hospital, Matron Martha Pule said the garden was a memorial to remember all their fallen heroes and heroines who had succumbed to Covid-19, and who had done a sterling job with commitment and resilience.
Jessica Spira, sector head of healthcare and hospitality at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) which sponsored the garden, said the Covid-19 pandemic had highlighted the immeasurable value that healthcare workers delivered to our society, and they were the very core of the nation. “This Garden of Recovery is RMB’s tribute to healthcare workers. The spekboom hedge spells out the word ‘heroes’ as an ongoing reminder of your value to us and our resultant pride in you.
“It is a permanent installation and will serve as a living space for all those who work at the hospital; to be greeted by it when you arrive and leave work as well as provide a small sanctuary for you to take a step out of your day to reflect and recover,” Spira added.
Operational manager for healthcare at the hospital, Sister Zengezile Makhombothi shared their Covid-19 experiences as healthcare workers. She said everyone was scared in the beginning and the biggest fear was the possibility of contracting the virus and in turn taking it back home to their families.
“The toughest time came in June when most of the staff members contracted Covid-19 and had to go on quarantine and isolation. Seeing our staff members fall was difficult and brought a lot of pain because these are the very staff members we rely on. Losing them to Covid meant that we had to be stronger and remember to go back to the Florence Nightingale style of strict hygiene,” added Makhombothi.
She said during this time they contracted staff to help out and were able to manage, with the fear becoming easier as time went on.
CEO of the hospital, Gladys Bogoshi said when they first heard about the ‘Covid-19 war’ they had not been aware that they would be the soldiers at the frontline of it. “We are determined to give every single employee who has been here a certificate and we are talking about
5 500 determined people. Not just nurses and doctors but the people in the kitchen, pharmacists, interns and porters of patients.
“If there is any legacy that should be left, it should not be forgotten that whether you’re the king, president or millionaire, if you are sick you need this team. If this team is not functional, we might as well close shop as the world,” Bogoshi added.
Landscaper Dawid Kloppers and supervisor John Mabasha, and their teams were thanked for making the vision of the garden come alive and for its maintenance. The Mzansi Youth Choir serenaded the attendees with beautiful songs.
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