UMgungundlovu District Manager Mrs May Zuma Mkhonza
Northdale Hospital CEO Mr Ntombela
Albaraka Bank Manager Mr Shabir Chowan
Albaraka Bank outreach team
Principal Specialist Surgery and Trauma Surgeon Dr MA Quazi
Members of the hospital board
Committed and hard working health care practitioners
Colleagues
It is always a pleasure to visit institutions not to solve problems but to acknowledge progress and accord praise to hard working personnel.
In this instance we are here to say thank you to Mr Shabir Chowhen and the
whole management of Albaraka Bank for the generous and progressive donation of the endoscopy machine that will impact positively in our stated objective of saving lives. This is a much needed technological device inserted through the mouth to examine the interior of the gastrointestinal tract: throat, food pipe, stomach and small intestines. It makes the work of the practitioners very easy as it provides high definition video images in real time is able to identify any abnormalities in the gut and also capable of taking small samples of diseased tissue if necessary (biopsy).
Ladies and gentlemen, we are very proud of what Albaraka Bank has done especially when considering that it is not just Northdale Hospital that will benefit here but also that the availability of this equipment here takes off the load from both Grey’s and Edendale Hospitals. It also cuts off the waiting times that will have affected patients needing this procedure. From now on we are certain that ten patients a week are guaranteed of endoscopic diagnosis and medical therapy right here at Northdale Hospital.
On behalf of MANCO I also want to express our heartfelt appreciation to Dr Quazi who took the initiative that resulted in Albaraka Bank agreeing to purchase this much needed equipment worth more than half a million rands. Dr Quazi you continue making us proud. We are saying even though you work with a team, we are also well aware that you have also single handedly made it possible for this institution to be announced and regarded as an anchor of excellence for medical male circumcision. His majesty the king was also very elated last week friday when he learnt that since July this year more than 1 500 circumcision procedures were performed here and still doing more. Again we are saying thank you and keep up the good work.
Ladies and gentlemen I am told that Northdale Hospital used to have endoscopic procedures regularly performed here about 15 years ago and that some old endoscopes are still here but out of order. From now onwards let us work to ensure that this revolutionised equipment responsible for the management of gastrointestinal diseases with its diagnostic and therapeutic functions given to us by Albaraka Bank remains in good order to benefit our deserving patients.
Let Northdale Hospital keep up the good work and excel in other regards apart from Medical Male Circumcision.
I thank you.
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Health
