A hospice is a busy place that supports a great deal of activity; yet it must also be a calm, safe and tranquil place that facilitates quiet personal reflection. A hospice must be capable of meeting the needs of men and women, young and old, in-patients and out-patients, patients and families, those with cancer and those with other conditions, those who will be discharged home and those who will not, paid staff and volunteers. A hospice is a place where people can live, truly live, until they die.
Per a recent report by UNICEF and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) an estimated 801 155 children need paediatric palliative care in South Africa, and 304 441 of them need specialised palliative care. Currently, only 14 501 children in South Africa are receiving any form of palliative care. Extrapolated to the Western Cape, (11.4% of the total population: Stats SA 2013) this translates to 91 332 children needing generalist care with 34 706 needing specialist care in the province.
Although hospitals do what they can to provide quality and compassionate end of life care, it is not the main goal of acute care facilities to care for the dying. The presence of dying children in hospital wards also impacts negatively on families whose children are expected to recover or undergo elective surgical procedures. Outside of hospitals, there are currently no dedicated terminal or specialist palliative care beds for these children in Cape Town. St Luke’s, Cape Town’s oldest and most established hospice, cares predominantly for adults.
It is with this need in mind that Paedspal Cape Town, a newly established NGO, has approached the Departments of Health and Public works to lease WIlliam Slater House (cnr Park and Milner Roads) for use as a children’s hospice and palliative care unit. The intention is to be able to provide a 10-bed palliative care unit with the capacity to care for children with unrelieved pain and other distressing symptoms or requiring terminal care. Due to the size of the property we will be able to house our outpatient unit here and will create this as a Paediatric Palliative Centre of Excellence. The proximity to the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital is ideal as most referrals are likely to come from this hospital, although children referred from any of Cape Town’s hospitals will be accommodated. In addition, the large open space, extensive garden and peaceful setting make it perfect for use as a hospice.
The building will be vacant from May and will be handed back over to the department of Public Works where it will likely stand vacant and become a security risk. We are currently in discussion with Western Cape Government and the Red Cross Children’s hospital to fast-track the development of this centre.
If you would like to endorse the establishment of this much-needed facility at this address please assist us by signing your name, providing your professional/organisational affiliation (if relevant), contact no and comment (if desired). Separate letters of support are also welcome.
Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us or for more information please look at our website http://paedspal.org.za/
Dr Michelle Meiring
Programme Manager
Cell: 082 408 7102
Mrs Fiona McLennan
Programme administrator
Cell: 072 732 3250
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
March 9, 2017
March 7, 2017
We hit one hundred signatures today. Post the petition link on your Facebook page and text three friends to keep this momentum moving forward.
March 6, 2017
We just hit a major marker in our campaign that proves Cape Town is ready for this facility. Now we must turn this momentum into action by emailing your local representative to demand they prioritize dedicated paediatric palliative care beds. Post the link to your Facebook page today so we can keep the pressure on.
Reached 100 supporters
March 5, 2017
130 Comments
I whole-heartedly support this petition for the William Slater House to be leased for use as a Paediatric Palliative Centre of Excellence. This facility is sorely needed and professional and holistic services for children and their families in need of palliative care is critical.
Wonderful project! I'd like to be a volunteer. I am a qualified reflexologist and know the benefit of giving this holistic treatment to young patients.
This is urgent and long overdue. My grnadchild died at home which was traumatic for the family but we didnt want her to die in a cold clinical hospital room. Hospitals are geared towards healing and curing not death.
Such a worthwhile cause- hospitals are no place for the terminal who require a more serene, slow paced, peaceful environment, where their pain can be managed. Also families may need some 'relief' from the 24hr care a terminal patient requires, not only physically, but emotionally too.
Having had a terminally ill child in the family we now just how important paediatric pallative facilities are and the tragic dirth of them in Cape Town It's heart breaking for parents not to have support and even more shocking for the patient child not to have a caring and kind soft safe spot to be nursed and treasured.
I think such a hospice would fulfil a great need - and wish the campaign every success
Pls let this proceed asap!!
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via . Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
A hospice is a busy place that supports a great deal of activity; yet it must also be a calm, safe and tranquil place that facilitates quiet personal reflection. A hospice must be capable of meeting the needs of men and women, young and old, in-patients and out-patients, patients and families, those with cancer and those with other conditions, those who will be discharged home and those who will not, paid staff and volunteers. A hospice is a place where people can live, truly live, until they die.
Per a recent report by UNICEF and the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN) an estimated 801 155 children need paediatric palliative care in South Africa, and 304 441 of them need specialised palliative care. Currently, only 14 501 children in South Africa are receiving any form of palliative care. Extrapolated to the Western Cape, (11.4% of the total population: Stats SA 2013) this translates to 91 332 children needing generalist care with 34 706 needing specialist care in the province.
Although hospitals do what they can to provide quality and compassionate end of life care, it is not the main goal of acute care facilities to care for the dying. The presence of dying children in hospital wards also impacts negatively on families whose children are expected to recover or undergo elective surgical procedures. Outside of hospitals, there are currently no dedicated terminal or specialist palliative care beds for these children in Cape Town. St Luke’s, Cape Town’s oldest and most established hospice, cares predominantly for adults.
It is with this need in mind that Paedspal Cape Town, a newly established NGO, has approached the Departments of Health and Public works to lease WIlliam Slater House (cnr Park and Milner Roads) for use as a children’s hospice and palliative care unit. The intention is to be able to provide a 10-bed palliative care unit with the capacity to care for children with unrelieved pain and other distressing symptoms or requiring terminal care. Due to the size of the property we will be able to house our outpatient unit here and will create this as a Paediatric Palliative Centre of Excellence. The proximity to the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital is ideal as most referrals are likely to come from this hospital, although children referred from any of Cape Town’s hospitals will be accommodated. In addition, the large open space, extensive garden and peaceful setting make it perfect for use as a hospice.
The building will be vacant from May and will be handed back over to the department of Public Works where it will likely stand vacant and become a security risk. We are currently in discussion with Western Cape Government and the Red Cross Children’s hospital to fast-track the development of this centre.
If you would like to endorse the establishment of this much-needed facility at this address please assist us by signing your name, providing your professional/organisational affiliation (if relevant), contact no and comment (if desired). Separate letters of support are also welcome.
Should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us or for more information please look at our website http://paedspal.org.za/
Dr Michelle Meiring
Programme Manager
Cell: 082 408 7102
Mrs Fiona McLennan
Programme administrator
Cell: 072 732 3250
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
March 9, 2017
March 7, 2017
We hit one hundred signatures today. Post the petition link on your Facebook page and text three friends to keep this momentum moving forward.
March 6, 2017
We just hit a major marker in our campaign that proves Cape Town is ready for this facility. Now we must turn this momentum into action by emailing your local representative to demand they prioritize dedicated paediatric palliative care beds. Post the link to your Facebook page today so we can keep the pressure on.
Reached 100 supporters
March 5, 2017
130 Comments
I've witnessed the importance of managing children in a specialised, caring manner when it comes to cancer by Dr Meiring and her colleagues. Cape Town needs this special space near Red Cross children's hospital to work in synergy with them.
I whole-heartedly support this petition for the William Slater House to be leased for use as a Paediatric Palliative Centre of Excellence. This facility is sorely needed and professional and holistic services for children and their families in need of palliative care is critical.
Wonderful project! I'd like to be a volunteer. I am a qualified reflexologist and know the benefit of giving this holistic treatment to young patients.
This is urgent and long overdue. My grnadchild died at home which was traumatic for the family but we didnt want her to die in a cold clinical hospital room. Hospitals are geared towards healing and curing not death.
Such a worthwhile cause- hospitals are no place for the terminal who require a more serene, slow paced, peaceful environment, where their pain can be managed. Also families may need some 'relief' from the 24hr care a terminal patient requires, not only physically, but emotionally too.
Having had a terminally ill child in the family we now just how important paediatric pallative facilities are and the tragic dirth of them in Cape Town It's heart breaking for parents not to have support and even more shocking for the patient child not to have a caring and kind soft safe spot to be nursed and treasured.
I think such a hospice would fulfil a great need - and wish the campaign every success
Pls let this proceed asap!!
Help this petition grow
Share it with friends to help reach 500 signatures.
Sign Petition
We never post to your account. Social sign-in is used only to verify your signature.
Add a comment?
Your signature will be added via .
Tell others why you're signing — it's optional.
Signing with Google or Facebook verifies your signature instantly — no email needed.
By signing, you accept iPetitions Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
I've witnessed the importance of managing children in a specialised, caring manner when it comes to cancer by Dr Meiring and her colleagues. Cape Town needs this special space near Red Cross children's hospital to work in synergy with them.