In the Photo: Deputy Mayor (middle) with health workers of Oudtshoorn Hospital
Oudtshoorn, 19 October 2021 – Oudtshoorn Municipality showed their appreciation to the staff of the Oudtshoorn Hospital by gifting them with “A hug in a mug” as a figurative hug with all the trimmings of a real hug. These “hugs” were handed over by deputy mayor of the Greater Oudtshoorn, Cllr Gevan Juthe on 14 October 2021.
“You give us hope by being our first line of defense during this health epidemic,” Cllr Juthe stated and further said that council wanted to show their appreciation in person to tell the frontline workers “you have done, are still doing and will, in future, keep on doing the best for our community and our people”. Juthe also said that a lot of people have experienced the hard work the health workers do with love. “When friends and families are taken to hospital for health reasons, we put all our hope in you”.
The deputy director of nursing of Oudtshoorn Hospital, Ms. Helen Human, accepted the token of appreciation and said that she can see how the town is living up to the slogan of the municipality, which is “a town to grow, work, play and prosper”. She further went on to say that the hospital has received nothing but support from the residents of Oudtshoorn and that the whole town is working together in whatever is thrown at them. Human said that Covid-19 had a tremendous effect on everybody, professionally and personally, in such an unthinkable way.
“When we feel weak and emotional, we as nurses draw courage from each other,” she said after she spoke about all the losses of loved ones and colleagues through covid-19. Human also thanked the Municipality for their support and also for the outreach and show of appreciation.
Acting director of strategic services, Luwellyn Coetzee, also thanked the health workers for their hard work and the sacrifices they made, by fighting daily with us to overcome this pandemic.