Cape Town - The Tygerberg Hospital Children’s Trust is appealing for assistance for its Food 4 Families campaign, to provide food relief for patients and their families, at the Paediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic at the hospital.
The Food 4 Families campaign aims to provide 40 food parcels each week, from mid-October to mid-December, to be distributed to children, adolescents and their families attending the clinic.
Each year, the clinic takes adolescent chronic care patients on youth camps and excursions, however, due to the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, a greater need for food security for those attending the clinic was identified.
Trust chief executive Dr Jason Falken said these events were also cancelled because patients were at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19.
“Nutrition is intrinsic to their well-being, especially because they are on a lot of medication. We thought it was more important to see them through for the next couple of months,” said Dr Falken.
“What we are finding is these kids are already ill because of their disease, predominantly children with HIV and TB, and other chronic diseases. But Covid-19 has affected these kids and their families through the economic impact. A lot of them have sole breadwinners in their homes or are unemployed, which means there is no money for food.”
The clinic has about 250 patients under the age of 18, and patients are admitted to the clinic after being diagnosed with an infectious disease, such as HIV or TB.
Clinic medical officer, Dr Clair Edson, said they identified the need for food, as many children come to the clinic hungry.
“Many caregivers in the families lost their jobs and income during the Covid-19 pandemic. Proper nutrition is essential in maintaining the health of an infected child. A food parcel will give some relief,” said Dr Edson.
The Tygerberg Hospital Children’s Trust is appealing to the public for the following items to be donated: Sugar, tea, tinned fish, coffee, salt, oil, rice, pasta, soya mince, mielie meal/ instant porridge, baked means, mix-a-drink sachets/ 1-litre bottle of mix-a-drink, jelly, biscuits, sweets/ lollipop strips, soap, and toothpaste.
The clinic serves communities in Tygerberg, Bellville, Blue Downs, Eerste- river, Westbank, Brackenfell, Gordon’s Bay, Khayelitsha, Kraaifontein, Kuils River, Macassar, Somerset West, Strand, Delft, Mfuleni, Ravensmead, Elsies River, and further afield.
The public can donate items listed or offer monetary donations by messaging the Tygerberg Hospital Children’s Trust Facebook page or website, or emailing [email protected].
Cape Argus