Sing a song of heroes! Let them not go unsung!
Now that you’ve had your vaccine, have you been impressed by the expertise of the vaccinators? By their friendliness? And how they put you at ease?
There’s no sign of all the organisation and sheer hard work that’s gone on behind the scenes, both before and after you leave.
Those calm, unruffled professionals have risen with the lark, loaded vehicles with vaccines and all their equipment, and driven kilometres to a venue which, at times, is far from ideal. Where they have offloaded, carried inside, cleaned, sanitised, set everything up – tables, chairs, computers … the list goes on and on. All so that when you arrive, it all runs like well-oiled machinery. They make it look so easy!
And then at the end of the day, they have to pack everything up again, drive all the way back to their offices and offload again. And you can bet there’s a ton of admin detail to be dealt with before they can make their weary way home.
To rest. So that they can do it all over again the next day.
Coastal Kindness has decided the men and women from the Department of Health deserve to be honoured, to be celebrated, for the part they are playing in fighting the pandemic. We won’t let them be unsung heroes.
And if you have had your jab at one of the “pop-up” sites, you may even recognise our DOH heroes!
Meet Sister Magdalene Assumption
Please meet Sister Magdalene Assumption (Macky to her friends!). Her photograph says it all! Here’s a professional woman who is warm, compassionate and caring yet cool, calm and collected – totally unflustered – under pressure. But also a woman who knows well how to be in charge, how to take control.
So it comes as no surprise to learn that she is, after eleven years with the DOH, an Assistant Manager Nursing. This means that she supervises clinics, five in Ndlambe and one in Makhanda, with all the headaches of staff shortages and HR issues that come with the job.
Prior to this, Sister Assumption has worked in theatre, a psychiatric hospital and a mobile clinic serving the farming community, all of which prepared her for the post she now holds.
But it’s the last, and that close sense of community, which she still sometimes misses … helping others and serving her community remains her greatest pleasure.
To unwind, Macky enjoys going for a walk in and around Makhanda, and whenever time allows, she’s on the road to visit family and friends in Gqeberha.
Sister Magdalene Assumption, you are our DOH Hero!
We honour you!
We celebrate you!
We thank you!
Meet Pharmacist Wendy Wrench
Please meet Pharmacist Wendy Wrench. If you happen to be on one of Kenton’s community chat groups, you’ll already be familiar with her “voice” – those crisp, concise, precise posts which answer every question before it’s even been asked. So you know just how meticulous and efficient she is. And now you have a face to put with that “voice”.
Wendy has been based at the Settlers Day Hospital in Makhanda for a little over six years. And she is the one responsible for all those precious phials of vaccine! For ensuring the right dose is in each of those syringes! No small task!
By providing information, care, compassion and support, she helps people to improve their health. A strong sense of community sees her playing her part, assisting and improving where necessary.
COVID-19 has been a challenging but welcome learning curve for her, and an opportunity to assist with innovative ways of addressing it.
In her spare time, Wendy loves to walk, cycle, travel, read and garden – and, of course, spend quality time with her friends and family.
Pharmacist Wendy Wrench, you are our DOH Hero!
We honour you!
We celebrate you!
We thank you!
