A well-known nurse who was instrumental in the set up of the RK Khan Hospital’s Gateway Psychiatric Clinic, Shamilla Jawahir, has bid farewell to her colleagues and patients with a heavy heart as she celebrated her retirement after 40 years of service in the nursing fraternity.
Having commenced her nursing career at RK Khan Hospital, the sprightly and vivacious mother of three continued to soar in her role and received the prestigious Head of Clinical Department Award for her outstanding nursing care. Jawahir studied psychiatry in 1985 at Fort Napier and Townhill hospitals and after she excelled in psychiatry, she went on to work at the Chatsworth Psychiatric Clinic, where she provided services to the communities of Chatsworth, Merebank, Isipingo, Umkomaas, Umzinto and Marburg at specialised psychiatric clinics.
In 2004, she was responsible for the integration of mental health services at the Chatsworth-based hospital and played a subservient role in setting up the Gateway Psychiatric Clinic where she provided an exceptional service to the community until her retirement in October.
Adopting nursing as her calling, she worked tirelessly with substance abusers and tried to do her part in making a small difference in the lives of those she provided care to.
The avid gardener was also a friendly face in many communities as she was invited by various organisations as a guest speaker and motivational speaker throughout her career. Following in her footsteps, Jawahir’s three children, Shakti, Aarthi and Vimal, are professional nurses at RK Khan Hospital, Albert Luthuli Hospital and Chatsmed Garden Hospital.
She has also been actively involved in training students studying psychiatry and some of her achievements include being elected as chairperson for the Public Service Union (PSA) at RK Khan Hospital since 2012, where her keen spirit saw her being involved in union issues while she showed great leadership skills by leading marches which educate the public.
The animal lover said she plans to strike off as many items on her “bucket list” during her retirement and hopes to write a book about her journey of remarkable experiences, while travelling locally and abroad.
She also plans to continue with her voluntary services to the community while bonding with her grandchildren, pets and gardening in her spare time.
