An Orthopaedic surgeon at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto has started the #Thankthemedics campaign to collect public donations via the BackaBuddy crowdfunding website and then pass it on to health care workers who are putting their own lives at risk to help and nurse others.
Dr Yenzi Ngema, Ngema said: “It’s a R250 voucher and beneficiaries will be randomly selected. I think everyone in their hearts wants to say thank you and there is no small amount… verbal thank you also go a long way and this is another way to give back”. To date just over R3 000 has been raised and set a target of R250 000 has been set.
Each person will receive two vouchers – one for themselves and one to “pay forward” to another health-care worker who bravely fought the Covid-19 virus alongside them, such as cleaners, porters or ambulance drivers. Beneficiaries will be selected randomly by BackaBuddy, using Vula Mobile’s database of doctors, nurses, ambulance workers and paramedics. To be eligible for a voucher, health-care professionals and workers need to be registered on Vula Mobile.
Dr Sicelo Mkhize is a medical officer based at the orthopaedic department at New Somerset Hospital. He supports Ngema’s #Thankthemedics initiative. “For me, the colleagues I want to put the most emphasis on the ones who are often less appreciated. So that’s the nurses, the cleaning staff and the porters, those guys really put themselves on the line to try and deliver the best service they can,” he said.
