Hospice’s hope becomes a reality
ALEXANDRA – New state-of-the-art hospice hopes for partnerships.
Alex residents were urged to love and care for their terminally ill relatives in order to prolong their lives and in keeping with the principle of Ubuntu.
This was said by the manager of Alexandra Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre, Grace Marutlulle in an attempt to discourage the increasing number of patients on the waiting list for admission to the already overcrowded centre. This as she anticipates the commencement of the construction of the centre’s new R43 million state-of- the-art facility in East Bank. It has been after years of exasperation, of hope and eventual reality coming true when the Joburg City Council through the Joburg Development Agency approved the grant for the facility.
The centre currently occupies old and costly to maintain school infrastructure that takes in a maximum of 30 patients compared to 50 anticipated at the new place who will also be supported with improved professional services and personnel. Marutlulle said the development was a god-sent gift to the township, especially, the staff and volunteers who struggled with meagre resources to sustain a service that is sorely needed by the terminally ill and poor brought in by relatives who are unable to care for them.
“Most of them are brought in when their condition worsens after they default in taking medication without food due to poverty,”Marutlulle said.
She implored relatives to do their best and share the little they have or get disability grants to help the centre reserve the limited beds for those seen to be facing imminent death. “It will ease our burden of juggling between terminally ill but still better patients against the chronically ill and in dire distress.”
She added that foreign nationals also exacerbated the high demand for help. “They come to the country in pursuit of a better life and fell ill while working here without a safety net of relatives for support. “In keeping with Constitutional mandate of access to health for all and the Department of Social Development’s directive that the sick should never be left alone in the street, we have had to take in patients from Zimbabwe, Zambia who passed on, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” She said the longest a patient has been at the centre was seven years. “Unlike other places, we can’t limit the patients’ stay as compassion is immeasurable and we rely on when the person either passes on or improves enough and relatives who will be ready to take them back and commit to monitor and ensure they do not default on their medication.”
Marutlulle is looking forward to the new facility with trepidation. “New things also come with challenges which we should be ready to confront.” This said in reference to the lease which secures their 50-year occupancy at a place she said will demand higher maintenance and operating costs. “We urge government to increase grant support to ensure all essential personnel are engaged and motivated to provide all the quality of services required.” She said this also as a plea to the local businesses, residents and funding agencies to donate more generously in service to those in desperate need at the terminal end of their lives. “They need and deserve dignity like anyone at the brink of death. The donations will supports a range of expenses from monthly waste incineration which costs R18 000, lease fees of R2 300 which will increases annually, feeding and other material supplies.”
Details: Alex Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre 011 443 3525 073 145 0289
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