About Sungardens

History and Background

Pretoria Sungardens Hospice was founded by Shelagh Lahoud and subsequently established in 1987, and Mamelodi Hospice in 1994. These hospices were established out of a need that existed in the community to take care of terminally ill patients. This particular Hospice and the one satellite Hospice serve the greater Tshwane Metropolitan area. The main administrative and in-patient unit is situated in Pretoria (corner of January Masilela and Lynnwood Road).

We offer a programme of specialised home-based care to patients and their families who must cope with terminal illness such as Cancer, HIV/AIDS, final stages of emphysema and Motor Neuron Disease. Although we have a 7-bed in-patient unit on our premises, which provides short-term medical care, including pain and symptom control, the main thrust of our work is for our professionally trained nurses to visit the patients and their families in their own homes to provide physical care, practical help and emotional support.

We serve approximately 300 patients at any given time.
The Hospice team is also involved in day-care programmes, bereavement counselling and training.

Ethos

Respect for people is paramount in the care of our patients and families. Coming to terms with a life threatening illness is as important as coming to terms with life and may provide profound insights into the purpose of living. Each person is to be valued and should be treated with dignity, compassion and respect according to the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence and non-maleficence in this regard. The terminally ill should have the right to retain control and share fully in the decisions concerning what is appropriate for them. They have the right to their religious views, their cultural beliefs and their personal philosophies. Sungardens Hospice care involves a holistic approach but is flexible enough to focus on individual need if this seems appropriate to patients and their families. Sungardens Hospice is a medically directed nurse coordinated programme of care which draws on the resources of both professional and trained caregivers supported by a large group of volunteers. All participants involved in care abide by the principles of confidentiality, truth telling and trustworthiness.

Why we do what we do

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The aim of Sungardens Hospice is to provide and promote a programme of comprehensive palliative care dedicated exclusively to patients and their families facing progressive and life threatening illness. This is a professional programme of care responding to physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs in partnership with other organisations.
Sungardens Hospice seeks to provide and promote quality Palliative Care for all people living with a life threatening illness within the Pretoria area.

A Glimpse of what we do

Chairman

Dr Mathatho Samuel Phalafala did his internship at Steve Biko Academic Hospital (Pretoria Academic Hospital) in 1999, then moved to Johannesburg-Helen Joseph Hospital-2000 (community service) and moved back to Pretoria where he started his private Practice in 2001. He continued to do sessions at Coronation Hospital (Rhaheema Moosa) in Johannesburg until he resigned in June 2010. He has special interest in HIV/AIDS and Diabetes Mellitus and is an accredited member of Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology (CDE). He also has interest in Clinical Trials and is

involved with several Pharmaceutical companies, his commitment to serve his community was also demonstrated by his involvement with the Mamelodi Hospital Board since 2009 until he was appointed as the chairman of the Mamelodi Hospital Board since 2010 to date. On the professional front, he serves as Chairman of the local doctor’s association-Mamelodi Independent Practitioners Association (MAIPA) since 2007 and serves on the National Convention on Dispensing to date. Dr Phalafala is a member of the South African Medical and Dental Professions association (SAMDP) and South African Medical Association (SAMA). He was trained and qualified as a Certified Independent Medical Examiner (CIME) in 2014 by American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME) and his work includes assessment of permanent injuries. He was appointed as member of Medical Parole Advisory Board (MPAB) by the Department of Correctional Services with effect from June 2015 to date. He had an opportunity to manage an Occupational Health Clinic at Lion Match (Pty. Ltd) Rosslyn since 2017 to 2018. Currently Dr Phalafala is seeing clients from private companies in construction, auto industry, manufacturers, and suppliers in different sectors in and around Tshwane.

Board members

Chairman (Palliative Care Mamelodi): Dr MS. Phalafala
Vice Chairman (Psychosocial / Governance): CM. Drenth
Treasurer (Finance): J. Riley
Secretary: Y. Toerien
Member (Training / Palliative Care): Dr M. Bac
Member (Psychosocial / Bereavement): EC. Erlank
Member (Nursing Services/Education): L. Maree
Member (Human Resources / Spirituality): B. Moagi
Member: M. Lekganyane
Member: Vacant