Ekurhuleni district police hosted SAPS social workers from Gauteng in Brakpan last Thursday. The meeting was held at the Brakpan Assemblies of God Fellowship Church.
Dressed in black and red for the occasion, attendees enjoyed an informative and interactive day. In attendance were representatives from the Life Dalview Hospital who provided bottled water and also used the gathering to raise awareness about different types of cancers.
There was a display of different coloured ribbons symbolising different cancers, such as pink for breast cancer and orange for leukaemia, and accompanying educational pamphlets.
Contact sheets, containing the details of specialist doctors at the hospital, were shared along with other promotional material.
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Maria Swanepoel, a clinical training specialist from the hospital, addressed the social workers about how to look after their health with an emphasis on heart disease.
According to her, coronary disease is the number one killer of SA police members and she urged everyone present to be tested for diabetes and high blood pressure.
“I know your job is not easy. What you see cannot be good for your lifestyle. You need to look after yourselves,” she said.
She shared there is good news as early screening, treatment and lifestyle changes can aid in eliminating heart diseases.
“If we catch it early, it is fixable,” she said.
Brakpan SAPS station commander Brigadier Fredl Jonck arrived shortly thereafter for a quick visit to welcome the social workers to Brakpan and thanked them for the work they do.
In addition to serving the community, SAPS social workers also assist police members to improve their well-being and ability to cope with the difficult tasks of the job.
Proceedings continued with a presentation on organisational diagnosis strategic management, which included a talk on SWOT analyses with social workers encouraged to use this technique for assessing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in their jobs.
There was also a presentation from Old Mutual and a motivational talk by Refilwe Mojapelo.
