Tygerberg Hospital have named food service assistant Berenice Adams as this week’s coronavirus hero who provides an essential service to the public during the pandemic.
The “hero amongst us” campaign seeks to highlight the achievements, abilities or personal qualities of staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Berenice has worked at the hospital’s food services department for 19 years. Under normal circumstances she works in the provisioning store and her duties include assembling ingredients for recipes, receiving and issuing stock, completing bin cards, keeping her area clean and assisting cooks when needed. She also ensures that the cooks receive the correct ingredients according to the prescribed menu and meal plan.
Under Covid-19 she had to adapt and become more aware of her surroundings, keeping her area hygienically clean while also practicing physical distancing. She had to leave her section to do the cooking, for which she has previous experience, when they had skeleton staff. “I had to follow the recipes and ensure that the correct meals were prepared according to the recipe and to the patient daily requirements. I also had to assist with dishing up meals,” she said.
Asked what motivated her in her work she said it’s the patients. “And the passion for my job and being in a position where I can contribute towards the recovery process of the patient,” said Berenice.
Explaining what measures had been put in place to keep staff safe at the hospital, she said: “We received PPE 9personal protective equipment0 daily, training was arranged and information sessions held, posters were put in the department to reiterate the importance of practicing good hygiene and social distancing.”
“Remember to wash your hands regularly, wear your PPE, practise social distancing. Please be responsible and mindful of others and to work as a team and not to compromise anybody’s safety,” said Berenice.