Bid to mobilise US$10m for Covid-19 fight

Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
A GROUP of individuals, churches and the business community under the banner ‘I-am-4-Bulawayo-FightingCovid-19’ is working towards mobilising US$10,5 million to fund the setting up of coronavirus testing and isolation centres in Bulawayo.

The initiative is focusing on capacitating Ekusileni Medical Centre, Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital and Mater Dei Hospital into fully equipped testing, isolation and treatment centres for Covid-19 as part of efforts to complement Government in the fight against the spread of the deadly global pandemic.

I-am-4-Bulawayo-FightingCovid-19 is a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together individuals and organisations in Bulawayo and the diaspora from the business community, NGOs, civic society, churches, academia, medical experts.

In an interview yesterday, I-am-4-Bulawayo spokesperson, Mr Thando Nkomo said they have so far established systems for donations and arranged for an oxygen tank to be installed at Ekusileni Medical Centre.

“Our target is a moving one and looking at the things needed for a comprehensive response, our projections are that we need about US$10,5 million and we are in the process of mobilising funds to capacitate Ekusileni Medical Centre, Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital and Mater Dei Hospital into fully equipped testing, isolation and treatment centres for Covid-19 testing and isolation centres through our global outreach donations,” he said.

“Last week, BOC Gases delivered a 10 000 litre oxygen tank for Ekusileni Medical Centre while Edgars and Holiday Inn donated a consignment of linen. Treger Group has pledged to equip Ekusileni Medical Centre with kitchen facilities.”

Mr Nkomo said they have since signed a partnership agreement with the Government, National University of Science and Technology (Nust) and Bulawayo City Council for the capacitation of Ekusileni Medical Centre and Thorngrove Hospital.

At Mater Dei Hospital, medical aid companies in Matabeleland mobilised funds to complement the hospital in renovating one of its wings which has since been turned into an isolation unit to manage Covid-19 among other serious cases.

“We have since compiled a list of requirements for the three potential Covid-19 treatment centres and I-am-4-Bulawayo is the conduit for these items to get to Ekusileni Medical Centre, Thorngrove Hospital and Mater Dei Hospital,” said Mr Nkomo.

He said the challenges they were facing revolve around delays in sourcing the required equipment as the number of cases increase in the city.

“We need to move with speed in terms of delivering and equipping Ekusileni and Thorngrove as Bulawayo already has the highest number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 and clearly time is not on our side. In such a scenario, like any other movement, challenges will be there in terms of ensuring our work moves smoothly and that our message is favourably received by our stakeholders,” he said.

“However, these challenges are opportunities for us to learn and innovate while keeping our eyes on the big picture which is helping Bulawayo and Zimbabwe fight the Coronavirus. We project that the effects of coronavirus will go beyond the end of infections and there is the psychosocial impact and also the economic impact of the virus to deal with.”