Employees & Patients

NAME & SURNAME: Mathapelo Mabaso
POSITION: Data Capturer for Surgeons for Little Lives

MY EXPERIENCE:

My name is Mathapelo and I work as a data capturer at Surgeons for Little Lives. What that means is I ensure all the patients’ details are entered into the Data Doc system. I have worked her for just over three months, so I am still pretty new. I really enjoy spending time with the children when I can – I love playing with them and seeing them smile. I am lucky enough to have a large, supportive family whom I love and I am very grateful for. My wish for South Africa is that our economy will grow so that those who are unemployed can find jobs.

My wish for SA is to see the youth unemployment rate go down. It’s so sad to see my fellow young South Africans jobless and unable to take care of themselves and their families!

NAME & SURNAME: Noluthando Shabi
POSITION:  Admin Supervisor for Surgeons for Little

MY EXPERIENCE:

I act as a point of initial contact for Surgeons for Little Lives, receive and respond to and appropriately assign all queries from email, telephone and social media. I handle the general management of the office including daily administrative issues. I also coordinate volunteers to their respective volunteering programs. I also attend to anything at hand that needs my intervention, for example; we have recently hosted a camp with the Just Footprints Foundation. I helped the camp director organise and coordinate campers, camp crew members and all the necessary logistics. I have also just started doing social media for SFLL together with Renee Schornborn and Adele Wapnick. This has been a great opportunity for me to learn something different and to broaden my expertise.

I’ve been working for SFLL for 6 years now, basically the first SFLL’s employee and now we have grown.

I have my parents and grandmother who raised me and whom I adore so much. I live with my husband. My husband is my support structure, the best I could ever ask for. He’s always been there for me from the beginning of my career journey, supporting and pushing me to do my absolute best. Because of him I know I am not limited, that I can push through and be the best version of myself!!

What I love about my job is the variety – my employers do not limit me, they let me do everything possible for this organisation, which allows me to learn and grow in my career path. What is most difficult about my job, is seeing the helpless little patients entering our Hospital who need our help – but I am glad that we do all that is possible to help them.

My wish for SA is to see the youth unemployment rate go down. It’s so sad to see my fellow young South Africans jobless and unable to take care of themselves and their families!

NAME & SURNAME: Mbali Magubane
POSITION:  House Mother for Surgeons For Little Lives at the Sleepover Facility – Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Soweto.

MY EXPERIENCE:

I oversee the smooth running of the Sleepover Facility – ensuring the parents and guardians are cared for. I help them with their practical needs such as clean facilities, toiletries and ensuring they have eaten and I also support them emotionally during their stay.

I am a mother myself – to a 4 year old boy and I am fortunate enough to come from a big, loving family. I know how important family is. I love helping people and I find my work very rewarding. Helping a parent or guardian who is dealing with a sick child gives my job meaning and I know I am making a difference.

My wish for South Africa is to see more of these Sleepover Facilities being built in all the Government Hospitals. Working here, I have seen how much of a need there is and how much difference this unit makes to patients and parent’s lives.

The feedback received from those who stay with us is really encouraging.

NAME & SURNAME: Sammy Moeketsi
POSITION:  Administrator in PSOPD Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital

MY EXPERIENCE:

I am an Administrator in PSOPD Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.

In my department I mainly do admin, however in my case that can be ‘broad’ at times. It can include some of the things Nurses do, and I help where doctors need help too. For example; I hold patients, help with taking blood, help to prepare patients when they go to theatre and because we are in South Africa, language is a problem so I also do interpretations from African languages to English or vice versa making sure that the mom’s understand the procedures. In a nutshell my work is not limited to my job title, I do everything!

I have got so much experience in this field as I have worked 10 to 11 years now.

I have a family of four, my wife and two boys a 9 and 11 year olds. My wife is not working, she is running a few projects here and there, my kids are both in school grade 6 and grade 3.

Everything about my job is my favourite, I absolutely love my job and I couldn’t fault it in any way. I love interacting with these patients, how they respond when I am around them is priceless. Talking with them, knowing what is happening in their lives moreover their sickness makes me to be more concerned about their wellbeing.

As I said previously there is nothing least I don’t like about my job, I wake up looking forward every morning. This place makes me rejoice, I couldn’t be happier.

The day in my work: When I get to work, I open all the consultation rooms, check if all is in order and if its clean. If not clean I call the cleaners out to clean before the day starts or sometimes I even do that myself. Secondly, I switch on my computer to see who has a theatre appointment on the day if there is a theatre list I call the patients on the spot to check if they are still coming or to remind them that they have an appointment, I might have done that the previous day but it’s now a different day. For example, today we had two appointments and I had confirmed with them yesterday but they did not turn up and their phones were switched off when I tried calling them. I always have to follow up with the patients. By that time, probably 2-3 patients are around for clinic. I have to check on them – do they have a registration stamp? Do they have a file? Do they have the conditions we are going to see at clinic today or not? Before clinic, I need to check that each and every doctor has everything they need in their rooms. Then after that, we are preparing everyone that is going to theatre. I talk to the doctors, check everyone has a consent form – this must be signed before the operation. If there is no consent, I have to see which doctor is around to come and do the consent, but consent doesn’t mean they have to sign and then leave – consent means we have to explain to the mom what’s happening and what the procedure is all about so I must translate. If somebody needs me to explain or interpret – I’ll leave my desk and be there. Answering the phones, explaining to everyone what’s happening, registering everyone that is there. But everything I do is my favourite – I love my job. Every day I look forward to it. That’s why I am happy when I am here.
 
My wish for South Africa is to see the crimes going down, it’s really not good for a person to go to work in the morning not knowing if they will make it back home alive to see their families, or they will be robbed and taken all their belongings. That is very scary!!!