Patients at the Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre in 2nd Avenue Alexandra received spiritual nourishment on World Aids Day.
Patients suffering from HIV, cancer and other terminal ailments were visited by Reverend Sonwabele Tsawu of the Methodist Church who said it was most distressing that hospices were regarded as places of certain death, and those admitted were discriminated and stigmatised for their ailments, even by their own relatives. He said some patients were totally abandoned by family members who did not want to be associated with them, especially those with HIV. He urged the patients not to lose hope, but to develop positive minds and attitudes knowing that they can live long lives with current advancement in treatments for these serious illnesses. “With positive minds you will beat stress, recover and be back at your homes,” he said.
The centre’s manager, Grace Marutlulle said the patients’ spirits were raised by messages of hope and enlightenment especially those who were not visited by family and relatives. “It’s not always that the sick receive visitors coming to wish them recovery against debilitating sicknesses,” she said.
Speaking on the day, private practitioner Dr Manape Kgopa said World Aids Day was to commemorate lives lost to Aids, but also was a moment to strive for zero stigmatisation and discrimination of the infected and also to work towards zero infections. “Discrimination is socially unacceptable and an unjust treatment of others,” she said. “It is reminiscent of our unjust past and should be fought in whatever form including in support of those with health challenges like HIV. They [HIV patients] need to be embraced and welcomed home as their ailment is treatable and will enable them to lead long and productive lives.”
She urged the public to test and know their status rather than live in fear of stigma associated with the disease. “Knowing one’s health status enables early access to treatment and counselling which develop one’s ability to cope with any stigma.”
