San Michele needs your help
The home, which is situated in Withok Estates, cares for 200 intellectually challenged patients.
Providing for the residents of the San Michele Home on a daily basis has become a mammoth task for the home’s management, who have been looking at other means to make ends meet after the health department failed to pay the subsidies owed to it for the last two months.
Many of the patients in its care, who range in age from 18 to 84, have no family and no means of support other than that provided by the home.
San Michele made headlines in June last year when it went to court to force the Gauteng Department of Health to pay more than R2-million owed to it in subsidies.
The North Gauteng High Court ordered the department to pay up.
Less than a year later, the home finds itself in the same predicament.
“They already owe us two months, for April and May, and the next is almost due,” said San Michele’s centre manager Marius Bosman.
“We are hoping to be paid in June, but the situation is not looking good and we have to do something.”
He explained that the home is paid R4 100 per month per patient.
This must cover a range of expenses including food, salaries for 95 staff members, building maintenance, medical treatment, toiletries, clothing, bedding and more.
“There are so many other costs that aren’t covered and we are not allowed to use state money for certain expenses,” said Bosman.
He cited vehicles (acquisition and maintenance) and insurance policies as examples.
“Patients must go to hospital, there are meds that must be collected, there is documentation that must be hand-delivered. Vehicles are a must, yet money is not provided for vehicles,” said Bosman.
The home is also not allowed to save the subsidy and unspent money is claimed back by the department.
Fund-raising activities brought in just R190 000 last year – a far cry from the millions needed annually to keep the doors open.
While the money situation is serious, the biggest crisis the home is currently facing is blankets.
“Winter is approaching and we desperately need blankets for our patients,” said Bosman.
He has appealed to residents and businesses for donations.
The community is also encouraged to support two athletes from the home who have been invited to participate in the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, next year.
Also read: Collecting shoes and blankets ahead of winter
Golfers Simphiwe Nxumalo and Japan Molokeng recently excelled on the green at the Special Olympics South Africa National Summer Games in Johannesburg.
Nxumalo earned a gold medal and Molokeng a silver.
This achievement has earned the pair the opportunity to represent South Africa at the world games.
While most of the expenses are covered, funding is required for their support team, as well as passports, clothing and spending money.
The San Michele Home is situated at the corner of Hannes Visagie and Mouton roads and can be contacted on 011 845 5101.
Bosman can be contacted on 082 904 8852.
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