Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban has been awarded a special PMR.africa Golden Era Award for 121 years of dedicated service to community members in KwaZulu-Natal. This was in addition to the PMR.africa Private Hospital’s Choice award – overall second place, with which the facility was also honoured this year.
According to Jacques du Plessis, managing director of the Netcare hospital division, Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital has received PMR.africa awards for seven consecutive years in a row. He congratulated the facility and its staff on the accolades, which he described as “a well deserved and most outstanding achievement”.
“These awards follow hot on the heels of another honour that was recently bestowed on the hospital by community members in KwaZulu-Natal. The facility was voted first in the Best Hospital category of the 2014 Daily News Your Choice poll in September this year. All of these accolades show the great esteem in which the hospital is held by the people of KwaZulu-Natal and are an affirmation of the wonderful work that is being done by the healthcare practitioners, management and staff of the facility, ” adds Du Plessis.
Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital general manager, Dr Augusta Dorning, says that she was overwhelmed when she heard the news of the PMR.africa awards. “They affirm that Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital has truly become a household name in healthcare among the people of KwaZulu-Natal, which is immensely gratifying for us,” she adds.
“These awards would not have been possible without the dedication of the personnel and doctors who serve Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital. Staff members consistently strive to provide outstanding service to patients and the wider community. Words are not really enough to describe the ethos of care and compassion they display,” notes Dr Dorning.
Du Plessis says it is not hard to see why the special PMR.africa Golden Era Award was presented to the hospital, which has served the people of Durban and its surrounds for more than 100 years, and always been intimately involved in the community.
Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital, which is affectionately known as the SAN, supports more than 35 public benefit organisations on an ongoing basis. These organisations include, among others, homes for the aged, the mentally ill, the handicapped and children. Staff members contribute time and expertise to these facilities as well as bake cakes, serve pizza, and hold pamper and birthday parties for residents.
Children in transit to foster care or permanent adoptive parents have had their medical care sponsored by the hospital. In partnership with the ophthalmologists working at the hospital, Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital supports the Right to Sight initiative by undertaking cataract surgery on underprivileged South Africans. When the hospital’s beds were replaced recently, 150 were donated to organisations that care for the less fortunate.
PMR.africa Private Hospital’s Choice award is based on a survey conducted among respondents comprising CEOs, MDs, business owners, company directors, managers and senior government officials based in KwaZulu-Natal.
“We at Netcare St Augustine’s Hospital are carrying forward the legacy of the great humanitarian St Augustine, after whom the hospital was named, who contributed significantly to society and showed unconditional love for his fellow human beings. We are also committed to the Netcare values of care, dignity, participation, truth and passion in our daily actions and to living the Netcare Way by caring for our patients, with compassion and respect for their dignity. I dedicate these awards to all our staff members and the doctors at the hospital as well as to our parent company, Netcare, which has been so supportive of this facility over the years,” concludes Dr Dorning.
Ends
Issued by : Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare
Contact : Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney, Sarah Beswick and Jillian
Penaluna
Telephone : (011) 469 3016
Email : [email protected],[email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]