Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
WITH more than 30 years of medical experience in both the public and private health sectors, the late liberation hero, Dr Taurai Gunguwo, was instrumental in the establishment of a national cervical cancer screening programme that continues to save the lives of countless women across the country through early detection and free screening.
In addition, Dr Gunguwo pioneered the Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care training that significantly improved the quality of care provided to mothers and newborns, among other medical breakthroughs that catapulted his status in the medical fraternity in Bulawayo and the greater Matabeleland region.
When news of his death filtered through last Sunday, the Doctors and Ancillary Nurses for ED, a grouping of medical professionals that advocates for their improved participation in national development, felt compelled to request that Dr Gunguwo be declared a provincial hero status.
The late Dr Gunguwo, a renowned gynaecologist and obstetrician, was laid to rest at Lady Stanley Cemetery yesterday.
Hundreds of mourners braved the chilly weather to bid farewell to a medical doctor, who dedicated his life to saving lives.
His passing cast a heavy stillness across consulting rooms, delivery wards and homes where his name had become synonymous with reassurance.
Businesspeople, politicians, academics, colleagues from the medical fraternity, Burnside residents and members of the public — including scores of patients he assisted in delivering their children — converged at his home for an early morning church service.
Speaker after speaker shared personal testimonies of how Dr Gunguwo touched their lives, with many highlighting his humility as a defining trait that endeared him to all who interacted with him.
Few mourners left the body viewing area without shedding tears, as family, friends and colleagues were given an opportunity to bid farewell to the fallen medical hero.
“Dr Gunguwo was a highly respected gynaecologist and obstetrician, who served the people of Bulawayo with distinction at the United Bulawayo Hospitals for over 20 years as well many more years in private practice.
“Over the course of his career, he made remarkable contributions to maternal and women’s health, impacting countless families within the province and beyond. His personal achievements included training and mentoring a significant number of gynaecologists, thereby strengthening the medical capacity of the Matabeleland region for generations to come,” said fellow colleague, Dr Edward Makwambeni.
“He was the first fellow of the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists graduate in Matabeleland, marking a major milestone in the region’s medical advancement. He further contributed to surgical innovation by pioneering vaginal hysterectomies for non-prolapsed uteri, expanding treatment options and improving patient outcomes,” he said.
President Mnangagwa conferred Liberation Hero status on the late Dr Gunguwo in recognition of his contribution to the nation.
A hearse carrying his body was escorted from Burnside by a police motorcade to its final resting place at Lady Stanley Cemetery, followed by a long procession of vehicles and buses.
Lady Stanley Cemetery is reserved for the city’s luminaries, including sports icons, musicians and businesspeople, who have contributed significantly to the development of Bulawayo and the greater Matabeleland region.
derick.khumalo