US delegation visit to Winterveld
Monday, 07 September 2009 17:27
The US delegation visited the Hope for Life ARV treatment site in St Peter’s parish, Winterveld, Archdiocese of Pretoria. The treatment site had begun at the Mercy Centre in Winterveld, but because of space restrictions moved over time to the parish. Currently there are about 960 patients on treatment, including a number of children. Patients are seen at the St Peter’s site, but also at nine outreach centres, including Mercy Centre.
The programme makes use of rooms in the parish centre, but also from fairly recently of a parkhome where patients are examined, counseled and provided with treatment. An X ray facility will be used for TB diagnosis once the electricity supply has been upgraded. Toga provides laboratory services to the Hope for Life programme from a container laboratory at the site, and is also able to provide services to neighbouring clinics and doctors. The Hope for Life Programme has a good referral system in the area, to services at the Mercy Centre, and to TB services at a local government clinic.
The day’s activities began with the joyful celebration of the Eucharist at St Peter’s, possibly the first time a cardinal had been to St Peter’s. The US delegation was joined for this celebration by the parish priest, SACBC and CRS representatives, patients and staff of the Hope for Life Centre, and a number of the Sisters of Mercy. After Mass, the delegation was entertained to some music, and shown around the site, before proceeding to the nearby Sisters of Mercy Centre. After lunch the delegation was taken on a walking tour of the property to the skills development centre (including carpentry and brick laying, embroidery, paper making and bread baking, computer skills), to the clinic, dentistry, nutritional centre and food gardens.
Programmes at the Mercy Centre are supported by a number of donors, including the Department of Health which provides staff salaries and medicines to the clinic; Medunsa which provides dentistry students during their practical experience to perform basic services. Raskob in the past supported part of the costs of the building of the skills centre. OVC and ARV services are supported by PEPFAR through the SACBC.
The US delegation and Khanya House's staff at the end of the visit in Southern Africa
The day’s activities began with the joyful celebration of the Eucharist at St Peter’s, possibly the first time a cardinal had been to St Peter’s. The US delegation was joined for this celebration by the parish priest, SACBC and CRS representatives, patients and staff of the Hope for Life Centre, and a number of the Sisters of Mercy. After Mass, the delegation was entertained to some music, and shown around the site, before proceeding to the nearby Sisters of Mercy Centre. After lunch the delegation was taken on a walking tour of the property to the skills development centre (including carpentry and brick laying, embroidery, paper making and bread baking, computer skills), to the clinic, dentistry, nutritional centre and food gardens.
Programmes at the Mercy Centre are supported by a number of donors, including the Department of Health which provides staff salaries and medicines to the clinic; Medunsa which provides dentistry students during their practical experience to perform basic services. Raskob in the past supported part of the costs of the building of the skills centre. OVC and ARV services are supported by PEPFAR through the SACBC.
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