News

On Saturday 8 March Netcare Rand Hospital showed its commitment to the Hillbrow community by participating in the Ekhaya North Community Day. Approximately 60 staff members of the hospital, along with the local municipality, Hillbrow South African Police Service (SAPS), Pikitup and local residents, were involved in cleaning up the streets around the hospital as part of the day’s events. In addition, nurses from Netcare Rand Hospital conducted general health screenings on members of the public.

“Ekhaya North Community Day was a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know the community we serve better and strengthen our existing partnerships with community groups. Our staff truly showed their dedication to the neighbourhood in which they work by giving up their personal time to make the area a better, cleaner and healthier place to live in,” notes Cobus Venter, hospital manager for Netcare Rand Hospital and Netcare Park Lane Hospital.

“The cleanup crews were also encouraged by the municipality to take photos of things which needed urgent attention, such as broken traffic lights or potholes. At the end of the day, this will benefit not only our patients and staff but also the Hillbrow community, and make it a better place to live and work,” continues Venter.

The morning’s events centred around Jager Park, where the general public could interact with individuals from Netcare Rand Hospital, Netcare 911 and different community groups at their various stands. Children from the neighbourhood enjoyed themselves immensely, playing on the jumping castle at the park and eating hotdogs that were provided.

The two Netcare stands displayed material about the hospital and its emergency department and staff members distributed general information about public health and safety. There was even a fun demonstration for the kids on how they should look after their teeth and gums. Community members could also get their blood pressure and glucose levels checked. Those whose test results were a cause for concern were referred to nearby medical facilities for further checkups.

“Ekhaya North Community Day was undoubtedly an event that promoted community building in the hospital’s neighbourhood. There was a real sense that we were all in this together and had a definite responsibility towards one another. We look forward to playing a key role in the next community event,” concludes Venter.

Ends

Issued by: Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare Rand Hospital
Contact: Martina Nicholson, Sarah Beswick or Jillian Penaluna
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email: [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]