Retired nurses hope to pass on valuable skills
Leadership of forum elected
The newly elected structure of the Chris Hani District Retired Nurses Forum is ready to plough back to the community by providing healthcare expertise as former employees in the field of health.
Launched in May this year in a candle-light ceremony in the presence of department of health officials, the forum aims to foster a unified structure that will assist in enhancing the healthcare system and ensure that the department provides a high quality healthcare service.
Currently the forum has 150 members, with the intention of further expanding.
President Thantaswa Felicia Manjiya, whose long-time vision was to create such a platform for retired nurses, said: “God had given us the strength to work throughout these years in helping others and now that we are retired we had to find ways of imparting this skill that was given to us. The question was, what can we do to repay God for entrusting us with people’s lives and for carrying us all these years? We realised that we are not dead wood but are able to contribute even though we are no longer employees in the department.”
Manjiya said the forum would be creating interactive methods with current employees in the healthcare space, provide mentorship programmes to government and non-profit organisations and encourage better compliance through regular interaction.
“We have also realised that we are sometimes forgotten after we have provided longterm care. The forum was to also unite all retired nurses and ensure that we give each other the necessary support as former colleagues in the health field.”
In Manjiya’s executive committee were deputy president Noziphiwo Matshotyana, Tandie Mapoma as secretary, Ndileka Sipondo as treasurer and deputy secretary Ntombehlubi Boto.