Dorothy Sithole
Sione Amidu, [email protected]
HOPE, for many families in Matabeleland South, often feels distant — tied to long journeys, uncertain referrals, and the quiet waiting that comes with limited access to specialised care. Next month, that distance will narrow, even if only briefly, as CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe takes its services on the road, bringing a free mobile screening clinic to six districts and giving children living with treatable disabilities a real chance at something life-changing.
The outreach will run from 8am to 4pm each day, opening its doors to children aged between 0 and 18 years. It is a simple set-up, but the impact could be profound. Conditions like cleft lip and palate, burn contractures, clubfoot, knock knees, bowed legs, osteogenesis imperfect, windswept knees and neglected trauma — the kinds of issues that quietly shape a child’s daily life — will be assessed, many for the first time by trained specialists.
The team will move steadily across the province, stopping where it matters most. St Anne’s Mission Hospital will host the first clinic on May 14, followed by Plumtree District Hospital on May 31. From there, the outreach continues to Gwanda Provincial Hospital on June 1, Mtshabezi Hospital on June 2, Manama Mission Hospital on June 3, and finally Beitbridge District Hospital on June 4. At each stop, there is likely to be a familiar scene — parents arriving early, children in tow, some hopeful, others unsure, all waiting to be seen.
CURE Children’s Hospital, a Christian non-profit organisation working in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, has built its work around reaching children who might otherwise slip through the cracks. This outreach is not about performing surgeries on the spot, but about finding those who need help and linking them to it. Those who qualify will be referred for free surgery at the hospital’s specialist facility in Bulawayo.
“Without surgery, children with cleft conditions struggle to breastfeed, leading to malnutrition. Speech development is impaired, and many face bullying that forces them out of school,” said CURE Programmes Manager Mr Martin Chipimo.
It is a reminder that these conditions are never just physical. They touch every part of a child’s life — how they eat, speak, learn, and even how they are treated by others.
The Matabeleland South programme is part of a wider national effort, one that moves from province to province to make sure no area is left out.
“This is a one-off outreach for Mat South. As CURE we are committed to ‘leaving no child behind,’ we rotate our mobile clinics across all 10 provinces. At the same time, we also encourage patients to always contact the hospital directly,” he said.
At each location, the expectation is to screen between 50 and 100 children, with about half likely to qualify for surgical intervention. Each child will be assessed by a medical officer, their condition carefully reviewed to determine whether it can be managed by specialists.
Those who meet the criteria will take the next step — being placed on a waiting list for surgery in Bulawayo.
“Families will be advised on travel to Bulawayo for final consultations and admission,” said Mr Chipimo.
For many families, cost is often the biggest obstacle. In this case, that burden is removed. Surgeries, along with caregiver support, will be fully covered by the organisation, easing the pressure on households that may already be stretched.
Parents are encouraged to bring birth certificates for their children, although appointments are not necessary, making the process as accessible as possible.
Getting the message out to remote communities has required more than just announcements. It has meant working closely with people already embedded in those areas — the Ministry of Health and Child Care, church leaders, and Village Health Workers who know the families and can identify children who need help. World Vision Zimbabwe has also come in to assist with raising awareness.
“We use a multi-channel strategy. That is to distribute information through hospital leadership, church networks, and community health structures. Village Health Workers are our primary link to families in remote areas,” said Mr Chipimo.
The model is simple, but effective — meet people where they are, use trusted networks, and make sure information reaches those who need it most.
Although the outreach focuses on Matabeleland South for now, CURE Children’s Hospital operates on a national scale. Since it was officially opened in Bulawayo by President Mnangagwa in 2021, the hospital has steadily expanded its reach, carrying out more than 5,400 surgeries.
“The hospital has been serving the children of Zimbabwe for five years since its inception. We have a specialised surgical hospital in Bulawayo and so it can take patients from anywhere in the country. Our statistics show that in the last five years we have seen 51% of our patients from Mat South,” said Mr Chipimo.
That figure alone says a lot — not only about need, but about how many families have already turned to the institution for help.
At its core, the outreach is about access. It is about stepping into communities where specialist care is not always within reach and offering something practical, something immediate. For some children, it may be the start of a long process. For others, it may be the turning point. But for all, it offers something that has, until now, felt just out of reach — the possibility of change.
Bongani Ndlovu