OHH PARTNERS WITH THE BEST PRIVATE HOSPITALS GAUTENG HAS TO OFFER DURING MANDELA MONTH
During July each year, Operation Healing Hands run their Mandela Month campaign. The aim of this campaign is to assist as many underprivileged patients as possible by providing life-changing surgery free of charge. Without the help of many doctors, staff, sponsors and service providers, this is not possible.
This year, OHH is again very proud that some of the best private hospitals in Gauteng selflessly jumped at the opportunity to be part of this Mandela month initiative.
Centurion Day Hospital’s relationship with Operation Healing Hands in started 2018.
Centurion Day Hospital and OHH have worked together ever since to improve the lives of especially children in need through surgery. During OHH’s 2019 Mandela Month campaign, the team at Centurion Day Hospital once again came on board by providing their services and facilities – free of charge – to five young OHH patients.
Timica Ross (4), Mia de Beer (5), Clayton Oosthuizen (9), Tiyiselani Angali (10) and Tiana O’Neill (11) received tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies – operations that will drastically improve their health but that their families could not otherwise afford.
Once again, the patients, their families and OHH’s doctors and staff were amazed by the level of service provided by Centurion Day Hospital. Truly a hospital that goes the extra mile!
In 2018, Life Wilgers Hospital joined the team as a service provider to Operation Healing Hands. Life Wilgers and OHH’s journey kicked off with the tumor-removal and reconstructive surgery of former Banyana Banyana soccer star, Ruth Luthuli. Ruth’s surgery was a groundbreaking procedure for OHH and with that the partnership with Life Wilgers Hospital was cemented.
During OHH’s Mandela month campaign, Life Wilgers again did not hesitate to help out. Sly Ngobeni, a 40-year old farm worker, was the lucky patient this year. His bilateral hip replacement surgery was done at Life Wilgers Hospital and was very successful. Sly was treated with the utmost care and respect and repeatedly voiced his gratitude towards the wonderful team of Life Wilgers Hospital.
Silverton Medicross is another one of the hospitals that Operation Healing Hands is very proud to be associated with. As an OHH hospital, Silverton Medicross provides its facilities and services to patients in need – free of charge. During OHH’s Mandela Month Campaign this year, Silverton Medicross was involved in two procedures.
Vaughn Welthagen underwent strabismus repair surgery – his second at Silverton Medicross this year – and was, once again, put at ease by the amazing team involved in his case.
Another strabismus repair patient, Sipho Ndleza (28), was also treated at Silverton Medicross. Sipho is a member of the Ndlovu Youth Choir who recently rose to fame on the TV programme, America’s Got Talent.
Sipho’s story was broadcasted on Jacaranda FM’s Good Morning Angels, sharing the good work done by OHH and Silverton Medicross with the rest of South Africa. What a privilege OHH and Silverton Medicross have to be able to change lives together this way.
As Operation Healing Hands’ ‘flagship’ hospital, Life Eugene Marais Hospital has been a part of OHH’s development right from the start. The very first surgery performed under OHH’s banner took place at Life Eugene Marais in 2016.
This year Life Eugene Marais was, once again, involved in improving the lives of patients in need in association with OHH. During OHH’s 2019 Mandela Month campaign, three life-changing surgeries were performed at Life Eugene Marais.
Grant Mostert (11) received Achilles lengthening surgery, which will enable him to walk (and play) without difficulty. Knee arthroscopy and menisectomy surgery on her left knee will enable Pam Venter to move without pain, drastically improving her quality of life. The third OHH patient to be helped by die wonderful team at Life Eugene Marais was Maria Mashiane who received a knee replacement.
Midstream Mediclinic and Operation Healing Hands are proud to be associated with each other. As a part of OHH’s 2019 Mandela Month campaign, Midstream Mediclinic provided their services and facilities free of charge for two procedures.
Louisa Botha and Muriel Mogakala both received cholecystectomy surgery at Midstream Mediclinic. A cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal) can be very traumatic for a patient, but the state of the art facilities at Midstream Mediclinic and the professionalism of the staff, made the operations much easier for the patients to bear.
Since joining the OHH team in 2018, Midstream Mediclinic have truly put ‘their money where their mouth is’ when providing care to patients in need.
Life Faerie Glen is another hospital that was proudly involved in the 2019 Mandela Month campaign. On 19 July, Mrs. Maria Naude received a total hip replacement at Life Faerie Glen, courtesy of OHH. The service and facilities at the hospital was exactly what Mrs. Naude needed to be at ease during her surgery and while recovering immediately afterwards.
It is the generosity of institutions such as Life Faerie Glen Hospital that makes it possible for OHH to make a difference in the lives of those most in need.
It was proven by the circumcision project at Advanced Health Day Hospitals – Groenkloof, that no patient is too young or operation too small for Operation Healing Hands.
Each year thousands of youths in our country undergo traditional circumcisions as part of initiation. According to professor Kevin Behrens of the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics at the University of the Witwatersrand, many of these initiates experience medical complications. Tragically, they end up needing treatment for things such as septicemia, gangrene, severe dehydration and genital mutilation after being circumcised. Although not all traditional circumcisions go wrong, it is important for young South African boys to have the option to undergo medical circumcisions should they prefer it. Very few of these boys, however, can afford such a procedure.
Advanced Health Day Hospitals, together with Operation Healing Hands, got involved in 2019 by offering medical circumcisions – free of charge – to 19 boys who met the criteria, making it possible for them to avoid having the procedure done elsewhere. The young patients were made to feel at home and at ease by die fantastic staff at Advanced Day Hospitals – Groenkloof and received the best care possible at their state-of-the-art facilities.
Cure Day Hospital is another one of our partners that was involved in the 2019 Mandela Month campaign. Life changing surgery was given to Kayden Greef (6). Kayden’s protruding or so-called ‘bat’ ears brought a lot of heartache into the little boy’s life. The surgery to correct his ears that was done at Cure Day Hospital has put the smile back on his face. The highly professional and extremely kind staff at the hospital made the experience free of trauma for the young patient, and his family will always remember the top-notch care he received.
It is thanks to the generosity of institutions such as Cure Day Hospital, that Operation Healing Hands can continue to help patients such as young Kayden.
*the above-mentioned hospitals are, however, not the only hospitals partnering with OHH. Earlier this year a few other outstanding hospitals have already done their part and in August they will again join us in changing lives. OHH is also proud to be associated with Pretoria Eye Institute, Zuid Afrikaans Hospital, Kilnerpark Day Hospital, Life Groenkloof and Intercare Hazeldean. Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for upcoming procedures at these institutions.
