Chronicle Editor
Rejoyce Sibanda
WALKING long distances to access health facilities is going to be a thing of the past for Emganwini residents as they united to contribute towards building a satellite clinic in the suburb which is almost complete.
For years, Emganwini residents went to other suburbs such as Nkulumane and Nketa for health services, but over 1 000 households contributed funds to the project to complement money from the Constituency Development Fund allocated through Parliament.
The clinic has been built on a stand provided by Bulawayo City Council (BCC).
The satellite clinic has been built in a serviced area after residents went for nearly three decades without one as the area where council intended to build a clinic has not been serviced with roads and electricity.
The success of the project has been attributed to unity of purpose by residents in mobilising resources and also the part played by the council that offered labour and expertise.
In an interview, the Bulawayo health services department director Dr Edwin Sibanda said the project started in 2018 as the brain child of Emganwini residents and their legislator Phelela Masuku.
“The project started in 2018 as an idea of residents and their member of Parliament using Constituency Development Fund. Council provided labour and expertise. We expect to complete it this quarter, and it will relieve pressure from Nketa and Nkulumane clinics as well as provide services to residents of Emganwini, Mbundane, and surrounding areas such as Hlekweni etc,” said Dr Sibanda.
Bulawayo United Residents’ Association (Bura) Ward 26 chairperson Mr Janana Ngwenya said residents contributed some funds to build the clinic to add on to the CDF that was allocated to the project by their legislator.
Mr Ngwenya who is also an Emganwini resident said for the past 28 years, residents have been struggling with accessing healthcare facilities.
“We then saw it fit to consult the Bulawayo City Council about the issue and come up with a way forward and indeed the council came in and helped us a lot in the completion of this clinic,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya said some women in the suburb were giving birth while on their way to clinics as a result of long distances.
He said even the elderly faced challenges as they could not walk long distances because of old age.
There are some instances when some senior citizens were transported to the clinic using wheelbarrows.
“Once the satellite clinic has been completed, it will be under the council. Thus, all the staff members and the equipment needed for it will all be organised and put in place by BCC. Residents should always learn how to stand up for themselves and do constructive things like how we did. As Emganwini residents we are happy for all the team effort, donations and support we got in building this clinic,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya said the clinic will cater for the suburb and all other nearby suburbs that would want to use it.
The residents’ clinic project chairperson Mr Sternlord Ndlovu 1 150 households out of 7 000 households in the suburb donated some money for the project.
Mr Ndlovu said the site that council initially allocated to build a clinic is far from most households and the area has no roads or electricity.
“Each household was expected to at least donate R10 for the project. However, some donated what they could afford and every kind of donation was appreciated. From the residents, we got a total of R9 865, US$109 and $1 100. Most of the money we got from the residents was used to buy food for the workers and also give them bus fare.
“Roughly, I can say that the $10 million (CDF) was used to build the whole structure of the clinic and the other things that were needed, the MP, BCC, donors, community leaders and members then came in and assisted,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said the nightmare of having people walking long distances, some being ferried to the clinic using wheelbarrows and some dying on their way to the hospital is going to come to an end.
Chronicle spoke to residents in the suburb about the project.
Ms Lister Moyo (51) said she is happy that the clinic is almost complete.
“I am very happy that we are going to access health facilities in our suburb because we are tired of walking very long distances to get treatment.
“Some of us were forced to walk either way because bus fare is another cost. Indeed, the clinic is going to play a major role because it is close by and residents are going to have easy access to it,” she said.
Gogo Ntombizodwa Moyo (80) said it is going to be easy for the elderly to go to the clinic for checkups.
She said that now there will no longer be a need for them to walk long distances as the clinic is now close to them.
Mr Lungile Ngwenya (43) said it is also going to be easy for those with medical emergencies to be attended to.
“When we went to the other clinics in other suburbs, we would spend most of the time in queues without being attended to but with this clinic, all of this is going to come to an end. The advantage of it all is that the clinic is convenient for the residents as it is close by,” he said.
Mr Kington Tshuma (62) said after going to clinics in other suburbs, Emganwini residents would be served last just because they are coming from a far distance and that inconvenienced them a lot.
“I would like to thank all the parties that came together in making this project a success because it is going to go a long way and address some issues that we were facing as a suburb,” he said. — @ReeSibanda.
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