Anita Parbhoo wins Jakes Gerwel Award

Source: Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital CEO, Anita Parbhoo, is the 2024 recipient of the Jakes Gerwel Award in Public Health. Photo supplied by Jeffrey Abrahams.

Her dedication has now been recognised with the 2024 Jakes Gerwel Award in Public Health, celebrating her work in this sector through leadership and innovation.

The Jakes Gerwel Award in Public Health honours graduates of the UWC School of Public Health, who have through their work made a positive impact on public health through professional or academic leadership and innovation.

As we continue to reflect on excellency in public healthcare, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness takes pride in celebrating one of its own.

At the award ceremony, Parbhoo delivered a lecture entitled, “It takes a village to raise a child”. Honoured to receive the award, Parbhoo, chief executive officer of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, reflects: “At first, it took a while to sink in after my nomination and then to be told I am the recipient for the 2024 award, but now I feel so, so proud of myself and the work I have been able to do. Jakes Gerwel gave so much of himself to uplift fellow South Africans.

"There were numerous challenges I had to navigate in my personal life and the professional sphere over the years, and it just felt like a coming together of so many different things. I am so privileged to work where I am working, to be able to improve children’s lives and empower my team. Working with people who share my purpose is really important to me. I am so grateful.”

Transformative patient care

The chief executive officer joined Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital as the medical manager in 2008 and later took over the reigns as chief executive officer in 2021. She has championed many projects to improve the lives of children and their families. Among some of her projects that improved the patient experience includes the creation of family-friendly bathrooms. She has also advocated for staff wellness, including a dedicated breastfeeding facility for staff.

She shares: “There are so many opportunities and changes I have had the privilege to be part of at Red Cross. One of the projects I was involved with was forming a restroom committee with our nursing manager at the time because we felt that the public toilets in the hospital were not of a high enough standard and we also felt that we needed family-friendly bathrooms - it’s not only moms who bring kids but dads too.

"You may find a parent visiting with their children or another family member, so we looked at creating spacious, family-friendly bathrooms. I remember going to look at tiles and toilet fixtures for these new restrooms to create a family-friendly bathroom that would be welcoming for adults and had child-friendly toilets, as well as have a big enough space for children with special needs.”

In partnership with her management team, staff and the Children’s Hospital Trust, she also started a waiting-list project to address surgical backlogs through additional surgeries on Saturdays, a programme that continues to benefit little ones visiting the children’s hospital today.

“When I was managing theatre as the medical manager, I worked with Sharon Cox, and we realised that there was a backlog in theatre. We put together a programme and managed to advocate to the Children’s Hospital Trust to get funding to do additional surgeries on Saturdays.

"We got that off the ground in 2011 and it’s been running every year since then. We normally run it from July onwards each year. It's wonderful for our patients and it’s quick and also boosts staff morale. This project is still running today.”

Empowering future leaders

Beyond her work to improve patient- and staff experiences in the hospital, Parbhoo is passionate about developing and nurturing future leaders. She reflects on her own leadership journey and how this has empowered her to give back to others.

“Working through the master’s in public health was a wonderful experience for me. It allowed me to connect with people from around the continent… they often face similar challenges to us, and we learned from each other. Besides the theoretical aspects, there was good experiential learning.

"I also found that it opened my world to two new languages, the one was about the realm of public health; this allowed me to really look towards taking the next step in my career and reflect on what I was doing and how I could make more impact.

"The other part was leaning into academia and learning how to do research. This has also enhanced my leadership capabilities in this tertiary academic hospital. I can now have empathy for our clinical staff as I have a good understanding of what our colleagues have to go through being responsible for service, as well as research, teaching and training.”

Reflecting on her leadership philosophy, Parbhoo emphasises the importance of empathy. “I try to be really mindful in the kind of leadership that I show. I try to have a very human kind of leadership. I find it works very well.

"I think some people thought that kindness was a sign of weakness, but we know now, and there is literature to support this leadership style, that you can be kind, firm and clear at the same time. It doesn’t mean that you’re not an effective leader if you’re kind. You can be kind and treat people in a humane way; and this is what nurtures people and brings the best out of everybody, while still enhancing the organisation’s goals.”

She concludes with a message of self-awareness and mentorship for aspiring leaders. “Find a tribe and let them help you. Nobody else can navigate things for you, you need to navigate things for yourself; but you can find a tribe to support you, cheer for you, and to help you achieve your goals.

"Connect with other like-minded people in terms of your value set. You know in yourself what kind of leader you want to be, but you need to learn to trust yourself. Pick up that mirror and reflect, get to know who you are, what you’ll tolerate and what you won’t tolerate.”

Parbhoo is part of several distinguished leaders in the department to have received this award. Her exceptional contributions serve as an inspiration to many officials in the organisation. Her commitment and compassion continue to inspire us all and play a crucial role in enhancing the health and wellbeing of children in the province.