05 Sep 2021

St Bridget Catholic Mission church, Tonota Parish has embarked on palliative care visits to patients with serious illness including COVID-19 .

In its first leg of visits, the church donated food hampers that included toothpastes and brushes, soaps face masks, sorghum, vegetables, sanitisers and chickens, amongst others to the needy people of Patayamatebele and Ditladi.

Speaking during a palliative care visit, Reverend Anthony Kornu said palliative care aimed to improve quality life for patients and their families. 

“Palliative care visit is given to people who are sick in order for them to cope with their situation,” he added.

He said human beings suffered in many life aspects such as mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual. 

He explained that health experts indicated that 25 per cent of people who fell sick were exposed to medicines only while other health dimensions were not taken care of.

“It is under this backdrop that we as a church felt that we should embark on palliative care to ensure that other dimensions are included hence donating food hampers,” he added.

Rev Kornu further said that the  church valued care for those in sickness because someone who is sick needed to be taken care of.

“Allow these people to die in dignity.”

He said the initiative was started by a church member in Tonota, Sister Marytansi Asoebo who embarked on regular home visits to check on the sick.

He added that in one of her visits, Sister Asoebo discovered a woman who had not bathed  for three months. 

He explained that the church assigned its Sunday school children to go and clean the lady’s house and assist her to bath.

Rev Kornu further indicated that another church member also gave the woman a bath during her birthday celebration.

In an interview, Sister Asoebo said the donation was funded by a United State of America charity organisation which contributed financially. 

“I approached this charity organisation for financial assistance to help these people especially in this midst of COVID-19,” she added.

In Patayamatebele, Kgosi Dick Moring thanked the church of its generosity in helping the elderly, the physical and visually challenged persons to help them cope with their situations.

One of the beneficiaries thanked the church for the visit and donation and appealed to other churches to assist because ‘the church represents God,’

Kgosi Moring thanked the government in a separate interview for posting two police officers to the village.

“This is a welcome development and Patayamatebe has been experiencing an increase in criminal activities,” he added.

He said gravelling internal roads in the village was another achievement and called for more developments.

He appealed to residents to continue adhering to COVID-19 protocols, adding the 12 reported cases of the pandemic was a ‘wake up call for residents to protect themselves from the scourge.’ Ends