“She brings humanity, humility, understanding and – dare I say it – love into her practice.”
Stories of appreciation, like this one, are just the medicine South Africa’s doctors need, over 670 days into the COVID pandemic. Since March 2020, the country’s healthcare workers have been manning the frontline of this global healthcare crisis, regularly putting themselves at risk of exposure in order to help their patients. And now, many patients are giving back.
“This is why we say thank you” is the theme on the Doctors’ Day website. This dedicated website is part of an initiative called Doctors’ Day, created by EthiQal, a division of Constantia Insurance Company Limited. The initiative was launched in 2018 and is celebrated annually on 16 November. This national day is intended to raise awareness about the value that so many of the country’s doctors bring to the lives of their patients and families – and the website is the platform where stories of gratitude can be read.
“This is the fifth year that we’ve run Doctors’ Day and every year the number of stories we receive grows substantially. We’ve far surpassed the responses from last year, as more and more patients take the time to share their healthcare hero stories,” says Alex Brownlee, EthiQal Executive.
Stories of appreciation
Every year, EthiQal calls on the nation to celebrate and recognise South Africa’s doctors. Heading into the third year of the COVID pandemic, the healthcare industry deserves to be recognised more than ever for the critical role they continue to play in meeting the needs of our nation, explains Brownlee.
Of the hundreds of entries from the 2021 Doctors’ Day competition, five of the most moving stories have been selected and are featured on the website, with each winning entrant receiving R1000. EthiQal also donated R10 000 to the Healthcare Workers Care Network – a nationwide healthcare worker support network. The winning entries can be read at www.doctorsday.co.za
“Our firm belief is that doctors are national assets, and so the core of the Doctors’ Day message truly resonates with everyone who works at EthiQal. We love Doctors’ Day because it gives people an opportunity to share their sincere messages of thanks. It’s just one small way that patients can give back to their doctors. We look forward to all the new entries and heart-warming stories that we’ll receive in November,” says Brownlee.
