Atteridgeville hospice gets big donation

INLSA

The Tshwane Tourism Association donated curtains, sheets, pillow cases, tablecloths and four boxes of cutlery to the Leratong Hospice in Atteridgeville. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi

Dineo Mokwena

THE LERATONG Hospice, a registered non-profit organisation in Atteridgeville, received a big donation of linen and cutlery yesterday from the Arcadia Hotel and the Court Classique Suite Hotel in Pretoria.

The two hotels donated, among other things, towels, curtains, tablecloths, old staff uniforms, forks and knives.

Patients are referred to the Leratong Hospice from the Steve Biko Academic and Kalafong hospitals, among others.

Elsa Daniels, a member of the executive committee of the Tshwane Tourism Association (TTA) and head of special projects, said that every hotel, bed ’n’ breakfast or guest house usually replaced its linen, towels and cutlery every two years even when they were still in good condition.

The Tshwane Tourism Association chooses a different charity to donate to and this year the Leratong Hospice was its chosen charity.

Its other project is providing 40 litres of soup for 52 weeks a year to a soup kitchen in Sunnyside, says Fanco Jordaan, the general manager of the four-star Court Classique Suite Hotel.

Brian Aldworth, director of the hospice, said procedures were in place to ensure the laundry stayed clean, and there were infection controls which were especially important in a medical institution like this one.

The hospice has also received five-star accreditation from the Council of Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA) for the hospice’s excellence in palliative care.

The Leratong Hospice supports the terminally ill and dying, but also patients who are HIV positive and are too weak to take care of themselves.

The hospice relies solely on donations. Its staff members are not paid but are taken care of by the hospice.

“They come to work out of their own will,” said Remigia Tloubane, the matron of the hospice.

Patients are taken into a private ward when they are about to die.

Tloubane says that nobody should die in pain and alone and that it is better to be with your loved one than to hear over the phone that they have passed on.

The hospice also cares for patients’ families.

The Leratong Hospice supports 18 patients. “Bietjie, Bietjie, ons maak ’n plan (Bit by bit we make a plan),” Tloubane commented.

If anybody wishes to make a donation, personal cheques and bank deposits are welcome. More information can be found on the website: www.leratong.co.za.