mp24957 Chaplain Mag Summer 2005 new.p65 - Chaplains service

FOCUS on a UNIT
PROJECT PHIDISA
PHIDISA PHIDISA VISION
VISION
Providing a preventive and promotive health
care service to the SANDF members and their
families
MISSION
MISSION
6 SANDF - The Military Chaplain
Col X. Currie - Director Project Phidisa
Cpln (Rev) M. M. Mashinini
Phidisa Unit Chaplain, 1 Military Hospital
Using a multi-disciplinary team approach to
HIV to ensure effective management of
resources to prolong lives of HIV and SANDF
members and their families and to prevent
the spread of HIV and Sexually Transmitted
Diseases.
By Cpln (Rev) M. M. Mashinini
Phidisa Unit Chaplain, 1 Military Hospital
WHAT PROJECT PHIDISA IS ALL ABOUT
Project Phidisa is a clinical research project focused on the management
and treatment of HIV infection in the uniformed members of the
SANDF and their dependents.
CHAPLAIN’S ROLE IN PROJECT PHIDISA:
THE AFFIRMATION OF HUMAN DIGNITY
BACKGROUND
It must be understood that the chaplain is part of the multi-disciplinary
team that endeavors to promote a holistic approach in meeting the
needs of the participants. Most importantly the chaplain provides
specific pastoral counseling and support with regard to adherence to
Anti-Retroviral treatment.
The overall work of the chaplain in Phidisa is premised on the
implementation of the Phidisa Chaplains Care Givers Support
Programme. This programme is perceived as a strategic imperative of
the chaplain both for the moral, spiritual and care for Phidisa patients
and their support system. We have to acknowledge that the
presupposition of our work is shaped by the mandate, and directives
of the Chaplain General. Such a mandate is well articulated in the
SANDF guidelines on Religious Policy. The said policy clearly
articulates that “the Chaplains Service provides a specialist religious
support service to the members of the DOD”. It further states that
Chaplaincy must ensure that “…all members and their dependants are
spiritually cared for by exercising a ministry that promotes spiritual
growth and sustains an ethos of high morality and ethical credibility’”.
Having been in Phidisa in the past year, we have learnt that our primary
focus as staff, centres on meeting the needs of our HIV & AIDS infected
patients. To a lesser extent and due to human resources constrains, we
do address the needs of the network systems of our patients i.e. family
members, friends and colleagues.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
• To impart pastoral perspectives on care-giving as articulated in
the Chaplain General Programme of Pastoral Counseling and
Support for the HIV & AIDS infected and affected.
• To share skills and to empower the participants with the validity
of spiritual formation principles in meeting the challenges of
purposeful living with HIV & AIDS.
• To honour and to acknowledge the commitments and the support
of the Care-Givers to our patients.
• To empower the participants with spiritual resources that will
enhance their coping skills and life support systems.
• To gather data that will assist the chaplain to present relevant
intervention measures.
• To impart character formation skills of faithfulness and
accountability to enhance the effectiveness of the anti-retroviral
treatment.