Gift of Givers gives Centane hospital borehole, gloves, masks

Gift of the Givers has joined hands with the amaXhosa Kingdom to provide gloves and masks and a borehole to Tafalofefe Hospital in Centane.

Given that the hospital is in an area where clean water is scarce, the organisation felt it was essential to help in whatever way it could.

Gift of the Givers project manager Ali Sablay said the borehole cost more than R400,000, but every cent would be worth it.

''Tafalofefe Hospital was battling with its clean drinking water supply and with the Covid-19 epidemic water is the first point of sanitation.

“The hospital had limited access to clean water, making day-to-day operations stressful,” Sablay said.

“The hospital also received hand sanitisers and masks for protection against the virus.

“We handed over 125 blankets, 120 masks, 120 glove sets and 120 bottles of sanitiser to Tafalofefe.”

The borehole provides 8,000l of water an hour, or 190,000l per day.

''This is one of many hospitals in the Eastern Cape that the Gift of the Givers will be assisting,” Sablay said.

Gift of the Givers is continuing with its borehole drilling programme in Qwa Qwa and other parts of the Eastern Cape, targeting schools, clinics and hospitals.

“The absence of clean water in drought affected areas will complicate efforts to curtail the spread of the virus.

“Government needs to consider appropriate action urgently.

“Another simple measure that may not cause too much disruption is to extend the Easter school holidays by an additional week,'' Sablay said.

Tafalofefe Hospital was particularly close to the heart of late amaXhosa king Mpendulo Sigcawu.

He frequently sought funding for the facility.

The Gift of the Givers’ intervention came after a request was made by King Zwelonke Legacy Projects executive Nkosi Phathuxolo Tyali, who is also the Amathole House of Traditional Leaders’ deputy chair.

''We are so grateful for this huge donation by the Gift of the Givers. Water is life,” he said.

“We hope that the government or Good Samaritans like Gift of the Givers in the private sector will assist the community of Centane so the hospital can have a dedicated ambulance service for the community.

“Currently, the hospital, which is in the remote area of Centane, relies on ambulances from Butterworth, which is about 80km away,'' said Tyali.

Sablay said Gift of the Givers operations in drought-stricken areas were continuing during the lockdown.

''Our water tanker trucks will continue delivering water to communities in Makhanda, Graaff-Reinet, Adelaide and Bedford,'' he said.

He said that the organisation had received a huge number of requests from various police stations, clinics and hospitals in the Eastern Cape.

When Covid-19 broke out in the country, we had out of our reserves committed R5m.

“That R5m was spent within 48 hours.

“The increase and demand has now gone up to more than R30m.”

He said Gift of the Givers had so far opened up several Covid-19 testing stations in the country — two in Johannesburg, one in KwaZulu-Natal and one in Cape Town.

“We are looking at opening up one in either East London or Port Elizabeth.”