Hospital played a pivotal role in 1976
“This boy who they said was playing outside said, ‘Mama I can’t see. My eyes are hurting’. That was sad really,” she remembered.
THOUSANDS of injured learners and community members packed the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on June 16, 1976 and their only hope was the nurses, who were up to the task to help them.
Professional nurse, Mrs Dora Phakathi (74), who now lives in Evans Park, worked at the hospital for 25 years.
She recalls the day when she and her colleagues worked around the clock to help the injured during the 1976 riots in Soweto.
“I remember very well, we just had a tea on our break when someone came screaming, saying learners were being mowed down by police. We immediately left whatever we were doing and went to help especially in casualty, resuscitation and theatre rooms. At casualty that’s where they were admitted;resuscitation – we did revival and they would then proceed to the theatre if there was a need for operation,” she explained.
She mentioned that the whole process was very emotional; however, she applauded the cohesion, the unity, the passion and the dedication shown by all the nurses and doctors.
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“Have you ever seen a grownup nurse helping a patient while tears flow down her cheeks? We were crying, literally. It was really heart-breaking to see what we saw on that day. I must say those learners were brave. They told us we must not worry too much because they know what they were doing. Instead of us as adults consoling them, they were the ones who were giving us courage,” she said.
“Some of the wounded were shot by pellet bullets while other got injured because they were running away from the police and fell. However Mam’Phakathi remembers one little four-year-old boy who was shot in the face. “This boy, who they said was playing outside, said, ‘Mama, I can’t see. My eyes are hurting’. That was sad really,” she remembered.
Fortunately, Mam’Phakathi and other nurses lived at the nurse’s home next to the hospital at that time and it was easier for them to work around the clock. There was one nurse, however, who lived in Nigel and it was too far for her. “Her dedication to helping others was great. She would commute by train, as early as 4am,” said Mam’Phakathi.
“She would ride to the hospital for a shift that would run from 7am to 6pm. That showed a lot of devotion to one’s profession.”
Doctors also worked around the clock at the hospital. Mam’Phakathi said if you compare the staff now and then, there is a huge difference. Money was not the driving factor for them, she said.
“We worked hard because when we took that nursing oath, we said we will help and comfort the sick, injured and people in distress. Today’s nurses should take a lesson from the 1976 nurses. Their allegiance was unparalleled,” noted Mam’Phakathi.
Her wish is for the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, to call a nursing indaba and ask the nurses what their challenges are and how can they improve service delivery in the nursing profession. They need to include doctors like Dr Jiyana Mgojo Mbere, a gynaecologist and obstetrician who played a pivotal role in the health profession; maybe then something would give, she said.
“Today people say Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is the worst hospital; however, not all the nurses there are bad. There are good nurses and the best doctors still, and those who do bad jeopardise the name of the hospital. I am very proud of that hospital,” she said.
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