“In Medical school they taught us about how to face a crises like 9/11 or dangers that we had seen before, but this was something we had never experienced or seen before”. – Dr Sivuyile Madikana

This year has been a year that no one would have expected nor anticipated the turn of events brought by the global pandemic. The plans that one had seemed so far-fetched and nearly impossible – a 2020 jinx if you might call it.

The coronavirus has had a huge effect on nurses and doctors as they are the ones that are coming into direct contact with the virus on a daily basis trying to help people that are extremely sick from the virus. Unfortunately for the nurses and doctors this meant putting their families’ lives and their lives at risk in order to make sure that everyone would be safe and get treated from the virus. The lack of personal protective equipment (PPEs) has made matters worse for frontline workers as they risk their health with no adequate personal protection.

It is against this background that Doctors Network, an organisation founded by Dr Nandipha Sekeleni and partners put together a gala dinner event to raise funds for purchasing PPEs. The organisation provides services to medical professionals and is committed to empowering and strengthening the work of healthcare professionals. It also offers mentoring to young upcoming doctors to have a network but also to be encouraged every step.

The Drs Network held the gala dinner to not only celebrate how far they have come but to also to remember all the unsung heroes, their friends and colleagues that lost their lives to the virus. Themed Doctors Network United Against the Pandemic, the event showed how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed that healthcare professionals need each other’s support.

Funds raised from the gala event will go towards purchasing of PPEs for healthcare frontliners and will also be contributed to the organisation’s medical bursary fund. The organisation also pledged R250 000 worth of PPEs.

Well-known doctors who were part of the event included Dr Nandipha, Dr Michael Mol, Dr Pashy and Dr Sindi van Zyl.

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By Yami Nhlenyama