While Pholosong Regional Hospital in Tsakane, Ekurhuleni, is often in the news for all the wrong reasons – poor service delivery, long queues, and admin delays – there’s another side to the story, reports Health-e News.
Irene Sondezi is the unofficial ambassador for the hospital, say patients and staff, and can be regularly heard singing uplifting gospel songs to cheer up anyone walking into the administration area – and peppering these with motivational talk and jokes.
Sondezi (55) started working at the institution 20 years ago as a groundswoman, doing gardening. Over the years, she has moved through various sections until joining the quality assurance department. Here she works as a queue marshal, a position that has earned her the gratitude and respect of numerous patients.
Her day begins in the administration area where she hands out patient files and assists with inquiries, before moving to her formally assigned work space: the outpatient Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department and Eye Clinic, where she ensures patients are in the right department and that their appointment dates correspond with the facility’s system.
Going above and beyond
Quality Assurance Manager Thandi Lubisi said Sondezi goes beyond her job description, and was among the inaugural “I Serve with a Smile” champions in 2019.
Six years later, she is still the reigning champion. The campaign aims to improve the patient experience across the province.
“We have seen a big reduction in complaints in patient registration, thanks to Irene’s assistance, and the supervisors have begged me not to move her to any other department,” Lubisi added.
Sondezi told Health-e News that she begins each shift “with gratitude to God”, having previously battled severe illness that once affected her work while also caring for her mother, who has dementia.
Barbra Strydom, who has been an outpatient at Pholosong for four years, said Sondezi has always been patient-centred.
“Wherever I go in the hospital, Irene is always available; she is always helping, assisting. She is a really friendly lady and makes you feel very comfortable.”
Another patient described Sondezi as “the real face of Pholosong”.
“Without her, many people would be lost. We thank Pholosong for giving us a ‘mother’ like her.”
In recognition of her excellence, the institution has twice presented her with certificates of appreciation, most recently in 2025.
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