Patience pays out for hospice
ALEX - The Alex Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre's years of patience has paid off with the recent approval of a multi-million rand development grant.
The Alex Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre’s years of patience has paid off with the recent approval of a multi-million rand development grant.
The support by Joburg Development Agency (JDA) is a R22-million grant for the development of its new facilities at a spacious site in Tsutsumani. This is away from the current old, cramped facilities in crowded, noisy and unenviable surroundings on 2nd Avenue where it also relies on inadequate funding from charity limiting its full potential in relation to service demand. Previous potential funders for its infrastructural development shied away when it couldn’t secure a long-term lease for the place which is also a heritage site.
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The grant comes after it secured a 50-year lease from the Joburg Property Agency. The good news was announced at the centre’s annual general meeting at Sankopano Community Centre by Beleng Goronyane, the board chairperson. “It will enable us to operate a professional, sound and well-governed centre, providing quality, optimum and sustainable services by professional personnel.
“This will be a drastic change from the current operations by selfless volunteers who kept it afloat during its trying times.”
Goronyane pleaded for partnership from Alex’s residents, local businesses, non-profit and public institutions. “We are embarking on a new journey after years of uncertainty and reach out to them (partners) to ensure smooth transformation from volunteering to professional, predictable, reliable and sustainable service delivery.”
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He said the new centre will ensure a balance in performance and budget and establish market-related working conditions to enable it to retain committed professional staff. “They will be expected to build on the certificates of appreciation given to their predecessors to make the centre a celebrated modern and well-equipped place servicing double the number from 30 patients at the current facility.”
The services will include:
- Clinical, palliative, respite and pain control care
- Rehabilitation
- Emotional and social support
- Training and learning platform for health professionals
- Reintegrating them back into society or to pass on with dignity from their terminal illnesses.
The JDA’s Douglas Cohen said the support is part of ensuring safe hubs, sustainable housing and revamped clinics in the township. “Tenders will be issued for architectural and engineering works with construction work expected to commence next financial year.”
He commended the patience and cleanliness of the facility by current management. “The new facility will be a win-win development, equipped with current technology and in at a larger space.”
It will act as an anchor for other support services including vegetable gardens for self-reliance in food production and a platform for structured input by all spheres of government and funding partners. Goronyane appealed to funding partners to be part of this development from this early phase.
Details: Alex Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre 011 443 3525; www.alexhospicerehab.org
