St Francis’ silent angel
The St Francis Care Centre has been blessed with a silent angel.
For the past two years, Sister Winnie Dlamini, Matron of the St Francis Care Centre, has been spreading love and lending a helping hand amongst chronically ill patients.
The Advertiser had the opportunity of spending a few hours with her in an informal settlement in Vosloorus, Boksburg, where she visits patients with multi-drug resistant TB, to give them their injectables.
St Francis Care Centre has been handed a pilot project by the Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa, in conjunction with the Department of Health, to reduce TB infections.
There are five patients in the community who receive injectables daily from the sisters of the centre.
“Visiting them at home helps the patients living with TB not to go to the clinic where they can spread their TB, and sometimes some of them are not well enough to visit the clinic,” she says.
Sister Winnie also councils these patients about their illness, educate them on how to cope, and also educates the family members on infection control.
Seeing the relationship Sister Winnie has with her patients, it is understandable why everyone loves her.
“She is very good. I am feeling all right, because she cares for me,” says one of Sister Winnie’s special patients.
Although Sister Winnie does admit that she is scared of getting infected by TB, helping others is her passion.
For her, the saddest moment arises when a patient gives up hope, and refuses to eat and take treatment and says, “I am going”.
It is Sister Winnie’s mission to not discriminate against patients, and always treat people as the same.
“We have to hold their hands, and if needed, we call the father to give them a prayer. With giving them respect and dignity, we find that this is the saddest moment. You try being strong, but a tear rolls down your cheek, because you can see that the patient is suffering,” says Sister Winnie.
Sister Winnie’s hopes and dreams for patients living with multi-drug resistant TB are that they get better.
She also dreams of the day that there will be no discrimination against patients with chronic illnesses.
“Education about illnesses and wellness are very important, and nowadays we can learn from everybody.”
