A brief report of the relief operations conducted by the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, Phoenix, and its Johannesburg Sub-Centre necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Groceries and other items to the needy: The following items were distributed to 350 families in the Phoenix and Johannesburg areas during March 2022:
2000kg rice, 250kg maize meal, 150kg fortified cereal, 1400kg pulses, 125kg assorted spices, 80kg noodles, 250kg salt, 1000 litres cooking oil, 600 tinned food, 45kg soup powder, 25000 tea bags, 250kg sugar, 250 litres milk, 1220 packets biscuits, 6013 sachets nutrient fortified breakfast cereal, 1500 loaves bread, 10 kg butter, 150 cakes, 35 litres Ganges water, 225 litres fruit juice, 30 litres flavoured milk, 90kg savoury snacks, 52kg soan papdi, 500 boxes matches, 500 bars of soap, 250 tubes of toothpaste, 480 adult napkins 1200kg potatoes, 1200kg onions, 240kg apples, 240kg bananas, 200kg pears, 40kg peaches, 500 pairs of socks, 717 items of clothing (saris, jackets, ladies shirts, t-shirts, shorts) and 1 wheelchair. - Weekly Milk and Bread: By prior arrangement with responsible vendors in different areas of Phoenix, 20 families (82 beneficiaries) are receiving a litre of milk and a loaf of bread three times a week.
- Monthly LP Gas: Fourteen families without electricity each received 9 kg LP gas monthly.
- Sarada Ganga Water Project: Six families were each provided with 2500 litres rainwater-harvesting tanks.
- SMME Programme: Under its Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise rehabilitation programme sixteen indigent individuals are receiving instructions from a Driving School for their forthcoming tests and licences. Twenty youth and women are going through a three-month course in sewing and tailoring.
- The Ramakrishna Clinic of South Africa – Phoenix is seeing a limited number of patients. The Clinic held 2268 consultations at the Phoenix Clinic and through primary health nurses consultations at the Ramakrishna Mzamo Home, Verulam, Ramakrishna Abalindi Home, Inanda and Verulam Day and Frail Care Centre. Three nephrology patients were medically managed and sent for dialysis 3 times weekly (31 dialysis sessions in total) under the full sponsorship of the Clinic. A group of psychiatrists and psychologists are providing counselling services to healthcare professionals and workers through telephone and telemedicine (50 sessions). Four prescription spectacles were provided free of charge to destitute patients.