Lesotho Times
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Hopolang Mokhopi
Minet Lesotho has donated electrical appliances and blankets worth M14 200 to Senkatana Oncology Clinic, in celebration of African Women’s Month.
The handover ceremony of the appliances, which comprised of a washing machine and heater, in addition to the blankets, took place at the cancer-treatment clinic in Maseru on Friday.
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Officially opening the event, Minet’s Senior Accounting Executive, ‘Mantai Moteka, said: “We visited the clinic and met Sister Rethabile Makhetha. It was during that visit that we were told the health facility’s major concern was it did not have heaters for warmth and a washing machine to help wash patients’ clothing due to their state of health.”
Receiving the donations, Palliative Care Specialist, Dr Mobashshar Hassan, said the clinic was “immensely grateful” for the assistance, adding the goods would “go a long way” in ensuring better service to their patients.
“Mostly, we look at the socio-economic state of a patient and their family members. Most of our patients seemingly live in abject poverty and come from rural and the highlands districts of Lesotho where there is no electricity. Some don’t have any support such that they stay alone at home, and as a result, need support from their communities as well as the Department of Social Development,” Dr Hassan said.
“I wish the country would develop a system whereby vulnerable patients who don’t have family support, could be assisted by the Department of Social Development.”
Dr Hassan added he had now been in Lesotho for about 20 years but this desperate situation had remained the same.
Dr Hassan also said nutrition was another big issue as most patients did not have money to buy their own food, further making a plea to Basotho of good will to “extend a helping hand”.
“Sometimes Sisters of Charity (whose mission is to devote themselves to helping the poor and
marginalized through care, compassion, and practical assistance), give food to our patients. So, I kindly ask the community of Lesotho to extend their helping hand by donating food and nutrition supplements to our cancer patients,” Dr Hassan said.
The Senkatana Oncology Clinic is intended to relieve cancer patients as well as the government from expensive referral expenses to other countries.
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