Cape Town - World War II (WWII) veterans, servicemen and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital founding heroes were remembered and honoured during a virtual online Remembrance Day event on Thursday.
Hospital CEO Dr Anita Parbhoo said the annual Day of Remembrance is held to commemorate WWII South African servicemen and veterans who donated two days of their pay towards what was to become the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
Annually on November 11, a Day of Remembrance ceremony is held at the hospital. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, military dignitaries and the public gathered on the hospital’s premises for a service and ceremony in tribute.
“Triggered by the plight of children affected by the horrors of war, their vision was to create a children’s hospital as a living memorial, in honour of their fallen comrades.
“Since its commissioning in 1956, this iconic hospital has become a cornerstone in pediatric health care on the African continent, and continues to provide outstanding health care to more than a quarter of a million children each year,” said Parbhoo.
She announced that the area in front of the hospital would be redeveloped to create an inclusive play area for children.
“On this Remembrance Day in 2021, we remember with appreciation the WWII servicemen and veterans who had the wisdom and vision to set this in motion.
“The legacy of giving from the hospital’s founding WWII heroes, lives on through the fundraising of the Children’s Hospital Trust, which relies on the benevolence of donors, to ensure that the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital remains on par with international standards of child health care.”
All donations made to the trust directly benefit the children in need of highly complex, clinical interventions, said Parbhoo.
Nursing manager Mitzi Franken said: “Today, as we should every day, remember those who volunteered, sacrificed, served, fought and died for our freedom during war times. We thank you and we salute you, as we salute those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.
“We will never forget. We will remember you. Remembrance Day commemorates not only the end of the first World War, but also WWII, the Falklands War, the Gulf War and more recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“Famously, it is marked on the 11th day of the eleventh month, at the eleventh hour with an 11am silence being observed around the country.
“Poppies are worn to remember those who gave their lives in battle because they are the flowers that grew on the battlefields after the end of the first World War,” she said.
A special tribute was made to the hospital’s very own heroes, health-care workers who had died due to Covid-19, as well as those who continue to provide sterling care under extraordinary and inhibiting circumstances.
Children’s Hospital Trust CEO Chantel Cooper said: “The Red Cross Children’s Hospital is so much more than a building. It's about the people inside. It's about the care that they provide, every single day.
“We go about our lives; they go about saving children every day. It's not just about lifesaving care, it's about life-changing care for children.”