Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng has praised the country’s healthworkers for their selfless work during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, urging them not to despair even in the face of criticism.
Speaking at a thanksgiving ceremony at the Tembisa Hospital in Ekurhuleni on Thursday, Mogoeng commended doctors, nurses and their support staff for soldiering on during the pandemic at a time where they risked even losing their lives.
“You’ve done very well, knowing the kind of danger you are exposing yourself to during this Covid-19. You stood your ground and said I’m going to be here for the sake of humanity. It is another kind of love, it is another kind of Ubuntu. The Ubuntu that we’ve lost completely."
“I am here to say we are grateful, we honour you and have inspired me to be as selfless as I can be,” Mogoeng said.
Healthworkers across the country have been at forefront of the fight against Covid-19. Many died of Covid-19 related illnesses.
Among the many challenges they faced was the lack of resources such as personal protective equipment, especially at the beginning of the lockdown as government grappled with the spread of the virus.
Mogoeng lashed out at government officials who have used the Covid-19 pandemic to enrich themselves.
“I hope it is a lie that some people are such heartless corruption practitioners that when resources were made available to save lives, they saw it as an opportunity to enrich themselves. I hope it is a lie because if it is true, just imagine the impact it is likely to have on those who sacrificially wake up every day to go and save lives.”
Mogoeng said if in deed there are people who have enriched themselves through Covid-19, the country has to change the way it deals with stubborn problems in society.
“I think the time has come for us to criticise but focus more on finding solutions. Most of the time it is symptoms that we pay attention to. The same with fighting gender based violence, we don’t go to the fundamentals. Why are people doing this? What needs to be done to curb it? We don’t go there. Why is it among black people in the majority? Why is it predominantly among the poor people.”
Tembisa hospital faces serious pressures as it serves a huge population of up to 1.8 million people without a district or regional health facility to ease the pressure.
The hospital has struggled with shortages of beds as the number of people visiting the facility exceed the number of beds available.
Nurses were honoured with certificates and white doves released outside the marquee in remembrance of health workers who have died during the pandemic.
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