adminNqobile Tshili Chronicle Correspondent
CANCER patients in Zimbabwe face hard times because of the high costs involved in accessing health care.
This was said by Miltah Nyathi, a nurse at Island Hospice, an organisation that assists cancer patients in Bulawayo during celebrations to mark 25 years since the founding of Word of Life International Ministries (WOLIM).
The church organised free health checks for Bulawayo residents and a number of organisations that include Island Hospice, National Blood Services of Zimbabwe, Childline, National Aids Council and dentists among other health care givers offered free services.
Nyathi said cancer patients were in a serious predicament in Zimbabwe.
She urged the government to facilitate the establishment of cancer screening centres throughout the country as the ones in place are located in urban areas only. Nyathi said it was important for rural areas to also have cancer centres.
“Chemotherapy is very expensive. Depending on the severity of the cancer, a patient can be ordered to undergo it maybe four to six times. Most of our patients can’t afford it,” said Nyathi.
“We hardly access funding from the government and most of our patients depend on donations. By donations I mean ‘left-overs’ of medication from those who would have died of the disease. But the ‘left-overs’ are left by those who are elite as most of us discard our relatives medication once they die.”
Nyathi encouraged people to go for cancer screening and desist from approaching spiritual healers when they have been diagnosed with the disease.
WOLIM City Centre Branch Pastor Sandi Moyo who was standing for her husband Busisa, also a pastor at the church, said it was the role of the church to assist the needy.
“Our vision is to affect the community for Christ in every sphere spiritually, politically, culturally and socially. This is part of us fulfilling our vision as people are getting health care services for free,” said Moyo.
She challenged Christians to make informed decisions as far as healthy living was concerned.
Bulawayo resident Charity Nyandoro, 23, who came to be attended by a dentist thanked the church for the programme.
“I came because I heard it’s for free. I want to thank the church for what they’ve done for us today. Only a Godly person can do this,” said Nyandoro.
WOLIM is celebrating its silver jubilee following its founding in 1990 by Pastor Goodwill Shana and his wife Pastor Maureen Shana.
The church prides itself of having over 10,000 members and 35 branches throughout the world.
Bongani Ndlovu