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Fungai Lupande-Mashonaland Central Bureau
Devolution has received tremendous community support in Rushinga, with the new Chomutukutu Clinic completed using devolution funds becoming the pride of the district.
The clinic, located in Katsito village, was started by the community after they had been enduring 15km journeys to Nhahwa Clinic, with pregnant women giving birth along the way.
The community decided to use the profits from their agriculture produce to start work on the clinic.
Member of Parliament for the area, Cde Tendai Nyabani, chipped in with cement and then Rushinga Rural District Council, impressed by the effort, channelled its devolution funds towards the project.
The local councillor, Cde Luckson Mutonho, said the clinic was urgently needed.
“Those seriously ill could not travel back home from Nhahwa Clinic and they would sleep by the roadside or either die along the way,” he said.
“The community has zeal to improve their livelihood and we agreed to contribute our sorghum crop after harvesting. We started a small structure because of the little money that we had and the council turned it into a bigger structure.
“If it was not for the devolution funds it would take us many years to construct the clinic. We are very grateful to the Government because we could not get anywhere on our own.”
Cde Mutonho said the council did not have to struggle to mobilise the community to do trenching and other manual jobs because they started and own the project.
A community member, Mrs Beula Nyandoro, said people would die on their way to the clinic and life was difficult for pregnant women.
“We thank the Government for funding the construction of this clinic through devolution,” she said.
“The community assisted with sourcing locally available material.
“Only minor things are outstanding and we cannot wait for the clinic to be opened. We have already started benefiting from clean water at the clinic.”
Mr Lucky Maruza said the community was excited about the new clinic.
“We were travelling more than 10 kilometres to Katakura Clinic,” she said. “Sometimes we failed to secure transport to ferry the sick or pregnant women to the clinic, resulting in deaths.”
Rushinga RDC civil engineering technician Mrs Rachel Muloyi said the council took over construction of the clinic using devolution funds.
They managed to drill a borehole with solar pumps and a piped water system at the clinic.
“Chomutukutu is a big ward and they were walking for 15 kilometres to seek health services at the next clinic,” she said. “This clinic has brought services closer to the people.
“Using devolution funds, we have constructed 12 health posts out of the 92 that were allocated by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
“We have plans to construct a staff quarter for the people who will be working at these centres.”
Online Reporter