Members of the South African Women in Dialogue, Minister of Tourism Lindiwe Sisulu and former Minister of Social Development Susan Shabangu visited the new premises of the Alex Hospice and Rehabilitation Centre on April 7.
They were met by hospice founder Grace Marutlulle and her staff who took the entourage on a site inspection and tour of the facility, and articulated her financial issues around the running of both the old and new facility.
Marutlulle told her visitors about the many issues she would face running the new hospice. “For this structure to run, I need R28 million annually but I don’t have that kind of money.
“The Johannesburg Development Agency told me it was ready to deliver the hospice. I was told that the R110 million only covered the construction of the building,” Marutlulle said.
“In the old hospice, I have 30 people that need to be looked after, day and night. I have nurses who have been working to look after these patients from October without pay because the funding was cut in September, now I am expected to come to this new hospice with those patients and feed them what? And what about the people who are working?”
In her response Sisulu said, “I am saddened to hear all this as I wasn’t aware of what is going on here. Susan and I will fix this problem, you have put it on the shoulders of the people who have a love for the organisation and who want to see progress for women.
“Susan and I will go and find money to help you, I promise we will come
back and discuss how we will solve this. I won’t allow such a beautiful concept by women to just go to waste.”
Sisulu said they would discuss how they would raise the money and also approach the Department of Health.
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