LOUIS TRICHARDT - Volunteers are busy cleaning up the exterior and surroundings of the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital. This is in response to President Thabu Mbeki’s call to a spirit of voluntarism or Letsima (the Pedi word for voluntarism or working for free) in his State of the Nation Address the week before the opening of Parliament this year.

The Letsima programme of the Vhembe region originated during a meeting on April 2 arranged for representatives of the eight hospitals of the region, namely Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital, Siloam, Tshilidzini, Malamulele, Elim and Donald Frazer. Six hospitals each sent three representatives to the meeting, but no representatives from Messina and Hayani Hospitals were present. Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital was represented by the Superintendent, Dr K Numbi, the Hospital Secretary, Mr Mabobo and the Nurse Manager, Mrs NL Mahange.

A cleaning programme effected by volunteers scheduled for early in April was one of various projects decided upon by the representatives of the Louis Trichardt Memorial Hospital. The volunteer cleaning programme was announced on several radio stations as well as advertised on the gate of the hospital. By Friday, April 5 twenty volunteers had already presented themselves ready for service and by Monday the number of volunteers had reached 32. The volunteers arrived from Kutama, Madombidzha, Indermark, Mauluma, Maelula, Phadzima, Elim Maganyeni, Mbokota, Mpheni, Rathidili, Vleifontein and Tshituni. These unemployed ladies use their own means to cover their transport costs.

Matron Raulinga reported: "I am elated about the cleaning programme. You should have seen how dirty the place looked before the voluntary team had started. Now it is starting to look much different. It touches our hearts to know that these ladies even incur costs to come and help us." She added that the cleaning programme will run until the outside of all the buildings have been completed. The exterior walls and surroundings to be cleaned include the garages, mortuary, laboratory, pharmacy, casualty theatre, paediatric ward, maternity ward, linen room, laundry, kitchens, incineration room and the store rooms.

Matron Raulinga says that the permanent cleaning staff of the hospital struggle to cope with all the work.

"Whenever a cleaning lady stops working because of retirement or death, she is not replaced. We remain with eight cleaning ladies and four garden personnel." She states that the hospital is trying to procure a municipal tractor to cut the long grass on the outer skirts of the premises.

One of the volunteers, Eunide Nkanyani comments that she is enjoying the voluntary cleaning programme.

"I am accustomed to this type of work at home and it is enjoyable to work together in a group. I will definitely stay until everything is cleaned up."

Like all the other ladies Ms Nkanyani travels daily at her own expense. She travels from Mbokotha on a weekly ticket of R14,60. Another lady travels from Indermark at a cost of R17,30 per day.