What are the achievements that you are most proud of?

We are most proud of the fact that we have been able to render services to the Rustenburg community and surrounds for nearly 28 years uninterrupted – even through the COVID 19 pandemic. We believe that the dedication of our founder has been successfully carried forward by successive managers and care teams.

Over the years, we have successfully transitioned through many different, and sometimes unexpected, events and periods in our history and somehow managed to maintain and grow our services to an ever growing community.

What are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?

• COVID-19: The pandemic brought challenges to staff safety and service continuity, highlighting the critical importance of our care amidst healthcare disruptions. Strong collaboration with local providers, the DoH, and the Rustenburg Health Forum ensured high-quality health outcomes during this time.
• The South African Burden of Disease: Unique health challenges, particularly the rise of HIV/AIDS in the 1990s and early 2000s, drastically shifted our patient profile and required a complete overhaul of our care model. The re-emergence of TB further increased mortality, but hospice adapted to these changes, remaining relevant and a vital part of the healthcare system.
• Demographic Changes and Poverty: Shifts in demographics and rising poverty, fueled by job seekers and limited employment opportunities, have led to growing informal settlements and increased healthcare demands amidst diminishing resources. We addresses these challenges through coordinated efforts with local Public Health Care providers to avoid duplication and resource wastage.
• The Marikana Riots: This brought immense challenges, exposing lawlessness and hardship in affected communities. Despite this, our care workers showed resilience, maintaining services under tough conditions. Over 27 years, we’ve adapted to sustain community care despite uncertainties. Staying vigilant remains crucial for future challenges.at are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?

What would you still like to achieve?

• Continued Service: We aim to maintain our high-quality services, collaborate with healthcare partners for greater impact, and enhance palliative care knowledge among public health professionals, particularly in North West Province. Despite slow progress in implementing palliative care, we remain committed to advocating for improvements with the NWDoH.
• Sustainable Palliative Care: We aim to establish palliative care on a sustainable foundation with strong government support, enabling service expansion and enhancing the lives and quality of life for our patients.
• Innovation: Throughout our history, we have adapted and innovated to sustain services, developing some of the most efficient health systems in the country. We are now exploring technology to further enhance our services.

What assistance would assist you in achieving this?

The Hospice movement nationally needs to become a stronger force so that our Provincial and National offices can meaningfully support the four aspirations outlined above. While we continue to mobilize as a single organisation, we believe that powerful influence at the operational level of both National and Provincial government (DoH) would significantly enhance our impact.