A brief report of the relief operations conducted by the Phoenix Centre and its Johannesburg sub-centre necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Distribution of Groceries : The following items were distributed to 320 families in the Phoenix and Johannesburg areas during January 2022:
1700kg rice, 200kg maize meal, 200kg fortified cereal, 1000kg pulses, 100kg assorted spices, 70kg noodles, 150kg salt, 1000 litres cooking oil, 650 tinned food, 30kg soup powder, 30000 tea bags, 300kg sugar, 300 litres milk, 1250 packets biscuits, 4739 nutrient fortified breakfast cereal sachets, 150 cakes, 400 boxes matches, 600 bars of soap, 308 tubes of toothpaste, 108 toothbrushes, 440 adult napkins, 1000kg potatoes, 1000kg onions, 210kg cabbages, 360kg squashes, 180kg carrots, 60kg brinjals, 36kg bananas and 24kg apples.
By prior arrangement with responsible vendors in different areas of Phoenix, 22 families (92 beneficiaries) are receiving a litre of milk and a loaf of bread three times a week.
Fourteen families without electricity received 9 kg LP gas for the month.
Educational Support: A total of one hundred sets of school uniforms, 62 pairs of school shoes, stationery and textbooks were provided for indigent schoolchildren.
SMME Programme: Under its Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise rehabilitation programme eighteen indigent individuals are receiving instructions from a Driving School for their forthcoming tests and licences. A fruit and vegetable vendor was provided with a shelter, tables and display board for his newly set-up home-based stall.
Medical Support : The Ramakrishna Clinic of South Africa – Phoenix is seeing a limited number of patients. Despite the lockdown the Clinic held 2102 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. Five nephrology patients were medically managed and sent for dialysis 3 times weekly (48 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 (40 sessions).