Colleen Pockpas is retiring in June after delivering hundreds of babies in her 38 years as a midwife at Groote Schuur Hospital.
The hospital paid tribute to Sister Pockpas, of Ottery, and her colleagues, on International Day of the Midwife on Tuesday May 5.
Hospital spokesman Alaric Jacobs said Sister Pockpas had always had a soft spot for babies. He thanked her for ensuring both babies and their mothers received essential care.
This year’s theme for International Day of the Midwife is “Celebrate. Demonstrate. Mobilise. Unite.”
It stresses the need for all women to raise awareness about the importance of midwives and their work.
“Groote Schuur Hospital would like to thank Sister Pockpas and her colleagues for ensuring universal access to voluntary family planning and spacing, thereby reducing unintended pregnancies and the rate of abortions in the province,” Mr Jacobs said.
Sister Pockpas said teaching and making a difference were what made working at the hospital special.
“Being a midwife has not really changed. There is new technology to assist the midwife, but in terms of the heart, nothing has changed. You need hard work, care and love to do the job for the mothers and the children.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been working in the antenatal clinic and the area where every patient is screened before entering the hospital.