17 Mar 2015

One philosopher once said that “success comes to those who have predetermined goals and a clear vision in life.”

Tsabong Primary Hospital’s three employees are a living testimony that the statement was true. Ministry of Health's annual achievement awards held last year on December 5 saw three of Tsabong Primary Hospital employees walking away with awards.

The three award winners: Moatlhodi Kgaileng, Keabetswe Motlerane and Masego Lekhutlile were each awarded a Performer of the Year by Cadre award in which the nominee must have demonstrated achievements in areas such as level of competency which simply meant that the nominee must have knowledge of his or her work; had job related initiative and able to go an extra mile in analysing the environment and by coming up with tasks or initiatives that contribute positive change to the organisation.

Another quality that a nodasaminee for the award must possess was that of always demonstrating professionalism, which constituted displaying high standard of integrity, discipline and ethical conduct at all times. 

Also, for one to be considered for the award, one should portray good leadership skills, that is, they should have proven record of ability to mentor talent and influence internal culture.

Another trait that the nominee must have is that they must have demonstrated Ministry of Health values, they should be living the ministry’s values of Botho, timeliness, equity, customer focus, teamwork and accountability. Now one would wonder how these award winners manage to constantly portray and uphold all these qualities during all their long, work-dedicated time. 

What is it that they do that is different from all other employees that put them in a better place for them to be able to gain the competitive edge and end up snatching awards in full view of other employees who are very competitive and who also stand a good chance at winning awards but never got the opportunity as they could not match the standards of the trio?

In an interview with BOPA, Kgaileng who is playing the duty of a driver for the hospital for the past six years said his passion and dedication for his work has always kept his career buoyant, saying that he values and respects his job and that even during off-hours, he usually goes to the hospital to give a helping hand to those who are on duty.

Furthermore, he said that his compassion and value for human life might have given him an edge over other employees.

“I have always had a strong liking for human-beings and have always been a respecter of human life, it is for this reason that I was over the moon when I landed a job as a driver in the hospital in 2009, the fact that I would be playing a pivotal role in preserving and protecting human life gave me great pleasure.

I made a secret vow to myself that I would play my role very well and always ensure that my clientele who consist of sickly and hopeless beings and depend on me to transport them will always reach the hospital on time and find help,” he narrated.

The 41-year-old, Bogogobo-born man said every time he has to transport a patient, the first thing that comes to his mind is this vow that he made back in 2009, and he usually has to race against time to ensure that he does not go against this vow.

Also, he said that commitment, discipline, punctuality, respect for other employees and willingness to work as a team and playing your role in the team well are of essence to one becoming a success and maybe, just maybe to one winning an award.

For the youthful Motlerane otherwise known as Zaa to his colleagues, winning this award did not come as a surprise at all. 

The young lad who hails from Molepolole and has been a Medical Laboratory Technician for the hospital since the year 2011 could not hide his excitement about winning the award and revealed that it has always been his dream to win an award someday.

He said the award is a great achievement in his career and it is also a stepping stone to more great things he aims to achieve in his career.

Zaa testified that winning this award did not come easily but he had a lot to do to earn it. 

For example, he said that his job is faced with many challenges among them lack of suitable structure for a proper medical laboratory, lack of motivation from management which he usually has to overlook when carrying out his duties.

Thus he said that the ability to adapt to unfavorable work conditions is a must have for one to excel in his career. 

He stated that his upright and hands-on personality contribute a lot to him being successful in his career.

“I always make sure that I follow rules and behave in a moral way, actually that is my nature, also I have made it a hobby to always lend a helping hand whenever I can,” he said.

Zaa also said that for one to be a success they have to set goals, saying that just as one cannot set off on a journey without knowing where he wants to go, one should set goals for his future.

“A goal gives you something to work towards, and gives you a clearer idea of what you want to achieve. 

Once you have set your goals and are working on achieving them, review them often in order to make sure that you are still on the right track and to adapt or refine the goal as your life changes,” Zaa pointed out.

Just like Kgaileng, Zaa believes that hard-work, commitment and passion, respect for others, timeliness and being a team player plays a pivotal role in one becoming outstanding in his job.

Zaa who describes himself as an optimist who always hopes for the best and that nothing is impossible said that his happiest moments are when he sees patients’ health improving.

He said he is excited about winning the award and that the messages of congratulations he has been receiving about his achievement have humbled him. 

However, he says that winning this award comes with a challenge as it has put him on the spotlight and he has to do better than before and this needs him to be more creative and strive for the best.

Even though he is jubilant about winning the award, Zaa feels that the award should have been awarded to the whole Medical Laboratory Technology unit, as they have always worked as a team and his achievements are influenced by the effort of the whole team.

He proposed that the hospital should also hold award ceremonies on a fixed basis in order to motivate its employees and recognize and appreciate the good work that they are doing.

The hospital’s Administration Officer, Ms Edna Kalantle described Kgaileng, Motlerane and Kgathileng as hard-workers, results-oriented employees who can work under stressful conditions and meet deadlines. She also said they are able to initiate changes in their various units and also listen to counsel and as such they as management were expecting them to win awards.

Ms Kalantle said they are still expecting more from these employees, saying the trio has motivated other employees and have set an example that if one has predetermined goals in life nothing is impossible. ENDS