HOD Zungu honoured the Health Care Workers Participating in the Ultimate Human Race - the Comrades Marathon 2012

On the 1st of June 2012, the Head of the Department of Health in KwaZulu-Natal Dr Sibongile Zungu hosted a breakfast in acknowledgement of 44 identified Departmental employees participating in the Ultimate Human Race – Comrades Marathon 2012. Saluting the runners HOD Zungu said “Today is a day that we come together as Department to support and highlight our runners. You are running for your clubs but to us you are still our runners and honouring your efforts is the appropriate thing to do. What you are doing goes a long way to actualizing what we talk about – healthy lifestyles; and as a Department we will be there to support and cheer you on”.

This event was the first of its kind and was made possible by the Department with the support from Capitec Bank, BBB Travel, Ezempilo Publishing, Sanlam, Konica Minolta and Destinations Travel. As a token of appreciation from the Department, these courageous and dedicated men and women who are employed by the Department; were handed with goodie bags. Amongst them were Mr LB Subramanian, Mr C Pillay and Mr D Mazibuko who were handed sponsored gifts, for having the most runs. All the runners reaffirmed their commitment to being torch bearers for healthy lifestyle. “We are truly humbled and appreciate the gesture by our Department. We are hopeful that the Department will keep this momentum and realize the growth from strength to strength of this wonderful initiative” said Mr C Pillay on behalf of all the runners. Mr LB Subramanian who is a master runner said “I have been running for over 30 years and running is a sport that I enjoy. It builds your discipline and running in the Comrades Marathon is magic”.

As HOD Zungu and senior management continued to motivate and wishing good luck to the runners, she emphasized that every healthcare worker must ask themselves “what race have we run in terms of work, family, spirituality and community. All of us need to race together in caring for our work, our communities and our families”. She further challenged all her Senior Managers including herself, to put more effort in active and healthy lives; and committed that as a start she will strive to join “the few kilometers walks or races”. “Next year we must see the numbers increasing and have more than sixty Departmental employees running in the Comrades Marathon” cheering Dr Sibongile Zungu.

The runners with HOD Zungu and senior management proceeded through the guard of honour; whereby cheering staff were chanting songs carrying placards, waving flags and balloons. The mood was jovial and at the end of the procession, colourful balloons were released. In reaffirming the Department’s commitment to healthy lifestyles; the runners, Departmental management and staff in general participated in the wellness programme, whereby voluntary screening services were offered by the Department and Government Employee Medical Scheme. More than 55 participants were screened for blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, weight and height with body mass index, waist circumference, eye screening and HIV counselling and testing on the day. The staff who manned all the stations conducted services in a professional manner and HOD Zungu and the Department appreciated them for an excellent service.

Of the 44 identified runners, comprising of 38 males and 6 females, 27 completed the race within the 12 hour cut off time. Of these runners the best performing male completed the race in 7 hours 50 minutes and 52 seconds (7:50:52) and the best performing female in 10 hours, 25 minutes and 54 seconds (10:25:54). Both these runners will receive sponsored weekends away for two, to destinations within the Province.

The HOD, Dr Zungu with some of the staff taking part in the 2012 Comrades Marathon

ENDS.

Inhloko yomnyango wezempilo ibungaze abasebenzi bezempilo abangenele I-Comrades Marathon

Inhloko yoMnyango wezeMpilo KwaZulu-Natali uDkt. Sibongile Zungu uhlele isidlo sasekuseni ukuzobungaza abasebenzi abangu 44 abebeyingxenye yomqhudelwano i-Comrades Marathon ka 2012. Ebabungaza uDkt. Zungu usho kanje “Namuhla usuku lapho sihlangene khona njengoMnyango ukunibungaza. Noma nigijimela amaqembu enu kodwa nisangabagijima bethu kanti futhi ukunibungaza kuyinto enhle esiyenzayo. Lokhu enikwenzayo kuhamba ibanga elide ukufezekisa lokhu esikhula ngakho njengoMnyango – indlela yokuphila enempilo; futhi siwuMnyango sizoba khona ukuzonigqugquzela"

Lomcimbi obungowokuqala wenziwe ngempumelelo nguMnyango kanye nosizo lezinhlaka ezizimele i-Capitec Bank, BBB Travel, Ezempilo Publishing, Sanlam, Konica Minolta kanye ne Destinations Travel. Umnyango ubungaze laba besilisa nabesifazane abakhombise isibindi nokuzinikela ngezipho ezincane ukubafisela inhlanhla kulomqhudelwano. Phakathi kwabo bekungu Mnuz. LB Subramanian, Mnuz. C Pillay kanye noMnu. D Mazibuko. Bonke abagijimi baqinisekisile ukukhanyisa ilambu lendlela yokuphila enempilo. “Sithobekile futhi siyabonga ngalesisenzo soMnyango. Sinethemba lokuthi uMnyango uzoqhubeka naloluhlelo oluhle kangaka futhi lukhule njalo” kusho uMnu. C Pillay ekhulumela bonke abagijimi. Umnu. LB Subramanian ongumgijimi onamava usho kanje “Sengigijime ngaphezu kweminyaka engu 30 futhi ukugijima umdlalo engiwuthandayo. Kukhulisa ukuziphatha kwakho kanti futhi ukugijima kwi-Comrades Marathon kuyisimangaliso”.

Ngesikhathi iNhloko nezimenenja zoMnyango ziqhubeka zihalalisela laba, ibalule ukuthi wonke umsebenzi wezeMpilo makazibuze lokhu “umuphi umgijimo esesiwenzile ophathelene nomsebenzi, umphakathi kanje nemindeni yethu”. Uphinde waphonsela inselelo abaphathi kubalwa naye, ukuba bafake umfutho omkhulu kakhulu ngendlela yokuphila enempilo. UDkt. Zungu uzibophezele ukuba njengesiqalo uzozama ukuba yingxenye “yokuhamba noma ukugijima amabanga amafushane”. “Ngonyaka ozayo kumele sibone izinombolo zinyuka sibe nabasebenzi abangaphezu kwamashumi ayisithuptha abagijima kwi-Comrades Marathon” kusho uDkt. Zungu ngokujabula.

Abagijimi kanye neNhloko nabaphathi baqhubekela lapho abasebenzi babenze khona ujenge, becula amaculo okuthokoza bephethe izingqwembe, amaflegi kanye namabhaluni njengendlela yokuhalalisela abagijimi. Isimo sasisihle kwaphinde kwadedelwa namabhaluni emoyeni. Ukuqinisekisa ukuzibophezela ngendlela yokuphila enempilo, abagijimi, abaphathi kanye nabanye abasebenzi batholwa ukuhlolwa ngokwempilo okwakulethwe uMnyango ne-Government Employee Medical Scheme. Bangaphezu kwa 55 abahlolelwa ukufutha kwegazi, ushukela, amafutha emzimbeni, ubude nesisindo, ububanzi bokhalo, amehlo kanye nesandulela ngculazi. Ababenza lokuhlola bawenza ngokusezingeni eliphezulu lomsebenzi.

Kubagijimi abangu 44, okungabesilisa abangu 38 nabesifazane abangu 6, abangu 27 kulaba baqeda ngesikhathi esifanele ekungamahora alishumi nambili. Owesilisa kulaba owenza kahle kunabo bonke waqeda ngamahora angu 7 nemizuzu engu 50 namasekhondi angu 52. Owesifazane owenza kahle waqeda ngamahora angu 10 imizuzu engu 25 namasekhondi angu 54. Bobabili labagijimi bazothola ukuyophola impelasonto enye (ngokoxhaso) nabahambisana nabo kwezinye zezindawo lapha esiFundazweni; lokhu okube yimpumelelo ngemizamo yoMnyango.

ENDS.

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