High-level talks on Bay’s frail care centre impasse

HIGH-LEVEL officials from the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development will meet today to discuss a health audit done for the 217 residents of the only two fully state-funded frail cares in the province.

Last year, the department did not renew its contract with Eastern Cape Frail Care, a company in the Life Healthcare Group operating the Algoa and Lorraine Frail Care Centres in Port Elizabeth.

The plan was to move the patients into the care of non-profit organisations (NPOs) or non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

None of the organisations approached were, however, willing to take the patients at the rate the department offered.

After a second round of advertisements, the organisations willing to take patients for the subsidy offered by the department fell short of the requirements for a frail care facility.

In December last year and again in May, a Port Elizabeth High Court judge issued an order to compel the department to keep the contract with Eastern Cape Frail Care going until a judge and an advocate appointed to represent the residents signed off on an acceptable plan to move patients.

The next court date is in May next year.

During the court case the former director-general of the department, advocate Stanley Khachairman nyile, said they believed 38 patients at the two facilities should be transferred to facilities for disabled people as they were not frail, while 43 elderly patients could be accommodated at homes for the aged.

Eastern Cape Department of Social Development spokesman Mzukisi Solani said the health audit meeting was being held to create short, medium and long-term plans for the frail care patients.

Frail Care Crisis Coalition Gerard Lueck, representing the families, said they had not been consulted on the developments.

“We would be keen to study their plan to see if it places the interests of the patients at its centre,” Lueck said.

“What alarms us is the total lack of communication with families. They clearly do not see this as their role.”

Algoa Bay Council for the Aged chief executive Maureen Andreka said there were patients waiting to be admitted to the two centres.

The DA’s Kobus Botha said he was very concerned about the poor leadership shown by Social Development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi.

Solani said the search for a service provider to take over state-funded frail care in the province had been fruitless so far.

“Initial negotiations had broken down as parties had failed to reach an agreement on the tariffs,” he said.

“However, the department has resuscitated talks and, following several meetings, it is hoped that a reasonable, affordable rate will be mutually agreed upon.”

What alarms us is the total lack of communication with families. They clearly do not see this as their role