Serco’s Salick Mohungoo shortlisted for Unsung Hero Award in the Sun newspaper’s Who Cares Wins awards

Serco employee, Salick Mohungoo, who works as a domestic supervisor at Newham Hospital, East London, has been shortlisted for the Unsung Hero award in the Sun’s Who Cares Wins awards. Salick was one of three finalists in the category and was nominated for the award by Dr Andrew Kelso, Medical Director at Barts Health NHS Trust, for his incredible hard work at the hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The award winners and finalists were honoured in a televised ceremony attended by a number of celebrities and leading politicians, including the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and hosted by Davina McCall. The ceremony was broadcast on Channel 4 on Sunday night. 

During the pandemic, Salick led his team in the regular changing and cleaning of wards. He and his colleagues play a vital role in the safe and efficient running of Newham Hospital. When wards needed to be changed from a Covid-19 to non-Covid-19 ward, he was on hand to thoroughly clean them to the high infection prevention control standards required. And he did it all with a smile and a sense of pride.

Salick was put forward for the award by Dr Andrew Kelso, Medical Director at Barts Health NHS Trust who said: "I first met Salick long before the pandemic and he was pretty well-known around the hospital for keeping everything so clean. He would keep the junior doctors' mess spick and span and that makes a huge difference to their lives. But when Covid happened, Salick came into his own. Salick did an outstanding job and he did it all with a smile on his face. He is very modest and chats to anyone. He put aside any feelings or worries he had about Covid even though he has a family at home and just got the job done."

Although Salick did not win the final award, when he heard that he had been shortlisted he said: “I’m shocked but very happy. This isn’t just for me though – it’s for my whole team and my managers. I couldn’t have done it without them and their support. This is as much for them as it is for me.”

Simon Chipperfield, Serco’s Managing Director for Health said: “I am absolutely delighted that Salick has received this recognition for his hard work and commitment. He, along with his team, provide essential and critical services that ensured Newham Hospital continued to operate during an extremely challenging period for patients and all those working at the hospital.

“Salick’s achievement is also recognition for the many thousands of Serco employees providing cleaning, catering, portering, security, maintenance and other facilities support services at a number of hospitals across the UK. They have stood up and delivered in exceptional circumstances during the Covid pandemic and we are proud of the vital contribution that they have made and the quality of the services they continue to deliver.”