Meet SA’s Youngest Hospital CEO – Dr Nokwethemba Mtshali-Hadebe
South Africa’s youngest CEO of a hospital is 31 year old, Dr. Nokwethemba Mtshali-Hadebe. With a staff of 767 she has been tasked with running the Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Germiston, Gauteng.
The University of KwaZulu-Natal graduate says that she is determined to turn this hospital into a center of excellence.
After being asked to serve as the acting CEO in 2015, Dr. Mtshali-Hadebe made some bold choices that have positively impacted the hospital. One of those moves was to ask staff members what could be improved upon by management.
“We’ve got good men and women out there, we just need to tap into their potential. As a manager, you must be able to translate the vision to the people who need to do the work.”
Out of those staff talks came a monthly merit awards, which is given to staff members who has gone above and beyond the call of duty. News bulletins are also sent out to inform staff of happenings around the hospital.
Dr Mtshali-Hadebe continues to do weekly rounds to stay on top of all issues and challenges despite her busy schedule.
