Tameside General Hospital honours "exceptional" mental health nurse with memorial sculpture

A memorial sculpture has been unveiled at Tameside General Hospital to pay tribute to Grant Maganga, a dedicated mental health nurse who lost his life to COVID-19.

The sculpture is in the Buckton Building garden, adjacent to the Hurst Place mental health rehabilitation unit, where Grant worked for a decade.

Hurst Place is a mental health rehabilitation unit operated by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Chair of Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust Evelyn Asante-Mensah said: "Grant's death in April 2020 was a devastating blow to us all. This memorial is a fitting tribute to a man who was an exceptional nurse and a loving family man."

The inscription on the sculpture commemorates Grant as "Our wonderful colleague and friend" and extends the tribute to all NHS workers who lost their lives during the pandemic.

Trust chief executive Anthony Hassall said: "Grant's legacy is one of unwavering commitment to mental health care. He has left an indelible impact on both his patients and colleagues."

 The unveiling ceremony was attended by Grant's widow, Awa Bojang, and their two youngest sons.

"Grant was taken from us when we needed him the most. I am grateful for the support we received," Awa said.

The event served as a poignant moment to remember Grant's significant contributions to his family, colleagues, and patients, says UNISON.

UNISON is the UK's largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

The union plans to establish a permanent memorial for all those in the North West who lost their lives during the pandemic.