Jubilee District Hospital staff joined the country yesterday in celebration of Mandela Day by spending 67 Minutes of their time cleaning the facility and pampering some of the mentally ill patients with presents.
Ms Damaria Magano, CEO of Jubilee Hospital addressed her staff and the visitors before commencing with the programme.
She said it was important for every individual to give their 67 minutes in honouring the late President by doing the least they can in changing the lives of those who are less fortunate.
“Today we honour the greatest Icon if not the greatest of them all. He brought different races together during crucial times of our country’s political crisis.
“We are honoured to be having various stakeholders who came in to offer their help by cleaning the facility and paint children’s wards including cleaning the yard.”
The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP), Road Accident Fund (RAF), and Environmental Health Practioners from the City Of Tshwane all came to help clean the hospital.
The RAF was tasked with revamping the children’s ward by repainting it with bright and colours, EPWP team was helping with cleaning the yard.
The Environmental health practitioners targeted the hawkers outside the hospital in educating them about keeping the hospital’s yards clean as it is a health facility while some of the hospital’s staff swept, scrubbed and mopped the floors of various wards.
Ms Diputsiso Raphela, who is a consultant at the hospital said this special day coincided with the mental illness awareness month and that is why they saw it fitting to prepare and serve their mentally ill patients with a tasteful healthy soup and bread while they waited to be checked by a doctor.
“We are also educating the outpatients and those who accompany them on the importance of loving and caring for the mentally disabled people as part of the the campaign for Mental Illness Month.
A community member donated 21 morning sleepers, 20 bathing cloth and socks for
inpatients at ward 8.
The hospital management edged the Hammanskraal community to do their best to make everyday a Mandela Day by helping the needy.