Frere boss bags prestigious prize
Woman of passion recognised at BWA awards
FRERE Hospital chief executive Dr Rolene Wagner has brought glory to Eastern Cape public health by winning the prestigious national Woman of the Year Award in the government category at the glamorous Business Women’s Association (BWA) awards on Friday.
Wagner, who has turned health services at Frere Hospital around since 2012, came out tops while competing with highly recognised women in the government category.
She was up against group financial officer at the Ekurhuleni Metro Municipality, Ramasela Ganda, CEO of Broadband Infraco Puleng Kwele and the chief operating officer in the Presidency, Lakela Kaunda.
Not only has the news left her family proud, but organisations including the provincial ANC, Frere Hospital and Stirling Primary School have congratulated the mother of three.
Yesterday Wagner said working in the public health sector meant she was in the business of decreasing deaths and helping people live longer.
“People have this misconception that government should not be run along business principles. We should think like entrepreneurs in the private sector do. However, my goal is not profit for stakeholders, my goal is social capital – how do I improve the social welfare of the community,” she explained.
Her teen twin daughters Laura and Emma Wagner-Meyer said they were inspired by their mother’s commitment to helping others and her strength in leading by example.
Wagner said she did not take lightly her responsibility to contribute to the country’s developmental agenda and to reducing inequality and unemployment.
“I see myself as a social entrepreneur and it requires me to think like an entrepreneur,” Wagner said, adding that government resources needed to be used efficiently and effectively.
“You need to minimise losses, you have to make sure that you can attract investment. You need to grow the business in terms of growing the access of good healthcare to the public,” she said.
President of the BWA, Farzanah Mall, said Wagner’s passion and dedication for servicing impressed her and the judges.
“There were a couple of qualities that we looked at before getting to the winner. We looked at the financial statements of the government entities – did they achieve a clean audit, amongst other things.
“Rolene stood out and she is dedicated to delivering services,” Mall said, adding that Wagner was a clear role model who inspired others through her work.
A challenge has been set by the ANC’s provincial secretary Oscar Mabuyane to other hospital CEOs “to emulate Dr Wagner’s hard work so that all of them in these positions work smart and [are committed] to providing quality healthcare to all the people of the province”.
Mabuyane said: “When the CEO of a hospital that was previously challenged by poor healthcare, deaths of babies, dilapidated infrastructure, poor administration and bad attitude of its staff gets such recognition, it means there is good work done by her and the team that works under her and the provincial department of health to improve provision of healthcare to our people.”
With public sector health being her passion, Wagner said she was not done at Frere and was looking forward to further improving the services at the hospital for the next three years, inspiring other women along the way.