POLOKWANE - The Department of Health and Welfare ended the year on a pleasant note, when they handed over service excellence awards to health workers. The event took place at the Polokwane Rugby Club on December 11.

The MEC for Health and Welfare, Mr Sello Moloto, urged all personnel within the department to continue working hard, adding that there are still some loose ends that need to be tied up. "You must always remember that a slight mistake in health care is fatal; you need to be perfect," he said.

When asked about the secret behind the success of his department that has already won the Premier’s Service Excellence Award, Moloto elaborated that "we acknowledge our strength, and accept the truth. We are also the best because of our actual service delivery, implementation of plans, compassion, care and the quality of empathy we give to our people," he said. .

He added that the department is aware of lazy people who arrive late at work and start playing cards on the computers, making calls and gossiping. "Such people are always on study leave, vacation, sick or absent without official leave, and they continue to get paid from the taxpayer’s money. To improve on this, we will soon be taking drastic steps against such people," he said. Moloto said that health and welfare people must be motivated by the awards to do a lot more, in a better way. He added thathe would be glad if they could become shining stars and turn their institutions into centres for excellence. .

Kgapane Hospital received the Absa Bank Platinum Award for good financial management. In the individual category, Mr NZ Kutama from the Makhado Memorial Hospital received a platinum award for being the best community liaison officer, while Mrs L Hangwani from Tshilidzini Hospital received a platinum award for being the best assistant physiotherapist. .

As he had promised at the district excellence awards last month, that he would also win the provincial award, the chief psychiatric nurse at Donald Fraser Hospital, Mr TE Mathivha, was awarded the best psychiatric nurse platinum award. In addition, Mathivha won the team platinum cheque award, worth R15 000, as the overall platinum winner. The award includes a trip with his family to Durban. .

All platinum recipients shared R50 000, while the gold winners would share R43 000. In response, as a representative of the recipients, Mr Mathivha stipulated that "when we build, let us think that we are building forever, let it be such work that even our descendants will thank us for it and follow in our footsteps".