Carletonville Hospital bids farewell to long-time employee
Many people have known her through the years.
Carletonville Hospital recently said farewell to one of their long-time and much respected employees.
“Anyone who has ever been touched by humility, kindness, love and appreciation from Karin van Graan has developed a strong attitude of denialism,” said the hospital’s communication officer, Matabo Letsoalo.
Hospital staff held a farewell function for Van Graan, former head of ICT in the hospital at (BSS) Bambisandla-Sam Lounge. Colleagues were overwhelmed by emotions as it is never easy to say goodbye.
According to hospital CEO Josias Naidoo commitment and dedication like Van Graan’s is very hard to match. Van Graan has embodied the spirit of loyalty and this is evident by her years of unbroken service to the people of Merafong. The CEO wished Van Graan well in her new chapter and encouraged her to take time to relax and focus on herself .
“Our doors will always remain open for you and this will always be your home, and we look forward to you visiting us from time to time”.Van Graan has dedicated 42 years of her life to serving Carletonville District Hospital community and the community of Merafong City Local Municipality.
Her journey began in the Stores Department, where she laid the foundation for her future growth.
In 1984, Van Graan took on the role of Receptionist at the X-Ray Department, followed by Supervisory role in Patient Affairs/Admissions Department in 1987. Her career continued to evolve with positions in the Accounts Office in 1989 and Buying Department in 1992.Her significant turning point came in 1999 when she embarked on studying ICT. This led to the estab-lishment of the hospital’s ICT department, where she oversaw the installation of network, computers, printers, and systems to ensure greater connectivity as times kept on changing demanding advanced ICT technologies.
“For the past 25 years, I worked tirelessly in ICT, driving technological advancements and innovation un-til I retired at the end of August, just shy of my 65th birthday,” laughed Van Graan.
At her age you would still hear people addressing her by name not surname and you would wonder what was happening with respect. Communication office spoke to colleagues in the hospital about why she is been called by her name not Ms Van Graan.
Rahab Sikhondze, a colleague of Van Graan in the same office says: “I guess it is because she is not aging. You can see her lovely skin tone and flexibility when she walks. You really cannot tell that the madam is over 60 now. Such people you can just admire and wish to be like them”.
Nokukhanya Mseleku, training officer in Carletonville District Hospital says she believes that most people who have known Van Graan from her early days could not transit and evolve with times to begin to ad-dress her differently because she remained vibrant, accommodative to people regardless of who they were.
“When I arrived here they said go see Karin in ICT and she will assist you in creating a work email address for you. When I got into the ICT office I told her that I was looking for Karin and when she said she was Karin I then froze for a little, because I felt it sounded like disrespect.”Van Graan says throughout her career, she’s been privileged to work with incredible teams, mentors, and patients.
“My experiences have shaped me into the person I am today, and I am grateful for the opportunities to grow, learn, and make a difference in the lives of others.”
