Hospice East Rand is still offering quality specialised palliative care despite facing severe financial constraints.
However, it is hoped that a national rebranding exercise will ensure that the organisation, which opened its doors in Benoni in 1986, will enjoy renewed interest and support.
During the 35th AGM, held recently, chairman Con Roux stressed that finances remain of crucial concern.
While delivering his report, Roux stated that during the 2021 and 2022 Hospice East Rand incurred a financial loss of over R930 548.
That is compared to previous year’s R391 268.
“This loss in not sustainable and deeply concerning,” he said.
“Considering the impact that Covid-19 pandemic had on NPO’s fundraising efforts this loss is not surprising, this was further driven by the drop in patients under our care. Numbers that have not yet recovered.”
He further attributed the loss to a decision by Discovery Medical Aid, formerly a strong supporter of Hospice, to establish its own in-house palliative care programme.
Hospice also does not receive any funding from the Department of Health.
He further continued by saying that the board and organisation are grateful to all donations received, especially a R530 000 donation from Federated Employees Mutual Assurance Company (FEM), with a further R350 000 donation pending from two independent donors.
Speaking about the national rebranding project he said that process will be a complete reinvention of the organisation’s visual identity.
“This is not the organisation’s first rebranding exercise,” said Roux.
“In 1987 we were known as the Hospice Association of South Africa (HASA) as the term palliative care was an unfamiliar term.”
In the late 1990’s the term was incorporated and the HASA became known and the Hospice Palliative Care Association (HPCA).
“With this being said and the term being better understood and more widely used, especially in the private sector, the rebranding will therefore be more focused on palliative care.”
He explained that palliative care refers to the home-based care of patients not only focusing on their medical needs but also psychological, pain management as well as guidance and emotional support for their families.
In the past year Hospice East Rand offered care to 464 patients, 319 were cancer patients.
The interdisciplinary team spent a total of 8 786 hours attention to a total of 5 639 home visits during this time.
“Palliative care is more professional and better represents the work of the HPCA and its members,” he said.
“The work done by the organisation has largely outgrown the hospice brand and we look forward to the process.”
Also Read: Hospice East Rand’s Polar Plunge is back
Also Read: The role of Hospice East Rand in our community
