SAMCT Keeps North Coast Hospice's Wheels Turning

SAMCT Keeps North Coast Hospice’s Wheels Turning

A KwaZulu-Natal North Coast Hospice, whose home-based care and hospital run offerings were in jeopardy because of failing and inadequate transportation, has received a massive boost with the donation of a R431 000 mini-bus, giving new impetus to its patient-care activities.

The Stanger-based Dolphin Coast Hospice Association has grown exceptionally rapidly since inception in 2005 – when it catered for just three patients – to serving well over 150 today, but its professional mobile teams are served by only two small and elderly cars, traversing a region extending from Compensation in the South to Mandini in the North.

The writing was on the wall until the South African Muslim Charitable Trust (SAMCT) recently stepped into the breach with its vehicle donation.

Speaking at a recent function to mark the official hand-over of the new mini-bus, SAMCT representative, Mr Gaff Osman, said: “It would be truly tragic if the organisation’s mobile teams were to be rendered impotent because of failing and inadequate transportation – a situation which would rapidly have become a reality without an effective intervention.”

Hearing of the Dolphin Coast Hospice Association’s transport plight, the SAMCT was eager to provide that intervention.

Mr Osman added: “The result was our organisation’s donation of a R431 000 mini-bus vehicle, so enabling the more effective transport of some 30 patients daily to and from the organisation’s day- care centre, transportation to hospital appointments, the distribution of food parcels to needy patients and special outings for patients.”

The move has significantly eased the pressure on the organisation’s dedicated nurses, care-givers, doctors and volunteers – all of whom give generously of their time and diverse talents – who were finding it increasingly difficult to deliver the necessary level of care and service across the Association’s wide area of operation.

Mr Osman said: “The Hospice concept is an exceptionally important facet of South Africa’s overall health-care environment and is one which commands great respect and support. Hospice organisations across the country, including the Dolphin Coast Hospice Association, are staffed by incredibly dedicated people and play an extremely important role on behalf of all those they serve, inclusive of both patients and their loved ones.”

He stressed that this role came at a high price to the Dolphin Coast Hospice Association.

“Unfortunately, the organisation – as with so many others around the country – does not have the financial wherewithal to meet its necessarily growing services offering. By offering both home-based care and a day-care centre, as well as hospital runs and periodic patient outings, efficient and economic transport is critical. But with just two small and elderly vehicles at its disposal, this component of the organisation’s operations was proving problematic. The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that – via fund-raising – the Association is currently developing an in-patient facility, so further growing its service offering and placing an ever-greater demand on its tiny fleet of vehicles. Our vehicle donation today is an example of the concern we have for non-profit organisations, such as the Dolphin Coast Hospice Association, whose good works would come to nought, if capital expenditure needs, such as the purchase of vehicles, cannot be met,” Mr Osman added.