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Mukudzei Chingwere in Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe
Vaccination teams are going into areas which up-to now had suffered exclusion from the provision of social services to ensure no one is left behind in Government’s quest for universal health coverage.
Under the 2030 vision of achieving an upper middle income society, health services of sufficient quality should be guaranteed to everyone.
At Bow Mine, an illegal mining settlement in the Mungari area in Pfungwe on the riverbed of Mazowe River, the health outreach team was vaccinating people and offering HIV services and treatment of other ailments. Covid-19 vaccines, which were integrated into routine programmes of the Ministry of Health and Child Care, have been warmly welcomed by the illegal miners.
“Most of the people who stay here are always busy with their work and they do not get time to go to hospitals to get Covid-19 vaccines,” said Mr Ben Chisuku, one of the community leaders.
“Some do not even go to clinics for the immunisation of their children and seeking healthcare services in general. Our communities have been usually neglected but now we are getting these services and we are happy that the Government is now bringing health services here. Some people are generally sceptical about health seeking but when they get such awareness and education, they will be open to accept these health services,” said Mr Chisuku.
Another miner identified as Prosper Mpofu said most people had no time to seek healthcare services.
“We are here for money. Most people you see here are not originally from Pfungwe. Some are from Harare, others from Bulawayo and Matabeleland regions, others from Midlands and I am from Sanyati. So even if we are sick, we cannot leave this place just like that. We are really grateful to the Government for bringing services here.”
dyton mupawaenda
Online Reporter