tawandamusarurwa
Emmanuel Kafe
TWO years ago, Beauty Chireshe (32) from Chinengundu village in Mhondoro lost her first baby on the way to hospital due to pregnancy complications.
The complications had afflicted her for a couple of days while she was at home, before she was rushed to Mhondoro Rural Hospital. Chireshe was quickly transferred to Chegutu District Hospital, which had better resources to manage her condition.
“It was a painful experience considering that it was my first pregnancy. I was eight months pregnant when I started bleeding, a condition that was later diagnosed as obstetric haemorrhage.”
What was excruciating for Chireshe was to learn that the long distance of 91 kilometres she travelled through rugged terrain from Mhondoro to Chegutu District Hospital saw her losing a lot of blood, exacerbating the ailment.
“Doctors told me the baby could have been saved if I had been attended to on time. So, ultimately, the long travel contributed to the death of my baby,” she said.
Now six months pregnant, Chireshe is hoping for the better. She is pinning her hopes on the newly upgraded rural hospital in the area.
To ensure better access to health services for the people of Chinengundu village and surrounding areas, the country’s largest platinum miner, Zimplats, turned Mhondoro Rural Hospital into a state-of-the-art health facility through a US$2,5 million renovation project, in a partnership with Government.
Commissioned by President Mnangagwa last Thursday, the facility boasts modern outpatients’ ablution facilities, a newly renovated kitchen block and a refurbished maternity ward, as well as a fully equipped theatre building.
Zimplats also facilitated construction of three modern doctors’ quarters and donated mortuary equipment.
The local leadership in the district said this was a commendable gesture and a good way of giving back to the community.
Chief Ngezi, Mr Peter Pasipamire, said the new development has come at an opportune time, as the elderly, the sick and expectant mothers were travelling long distances to get treatment.
“We are very grateful to have such a modern hospital in a rural setup like Mhondoro. This will go a long way in reducing unintended deaths and avoidable health complications among our people. We need more local companies that give back to communities in such a manner,” he said.
Headman Murombedzi, Mr Mark Baya Maxmillio Murombedzi, said: “We want to appreciate Zimplats for working with Government to come up with such an initiative. All expectant mothers have heaved a huge sigh of relief.
“Before this, there were no adequate facilities for women. It even took time for ambulances to come to pick up ailing patients and move them to the next district hospital,” he said.
He added the project was testament to President Mnangagwa’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
Mashonaland West provincial medical director Dr Celestino Dhege said Mhondoro Rural Hospital becomes the first countryside health centre in the province to have a fully functional theatre facility. The province has 13 referral hospitals.
“This is such a huge leap in the provision of universal health care. Our hope for all the rural hospitals is to have surgical care units, more so for maternity wards. We are now in the process of looking for two resident doctors and a nurse who will be operating in the theatre. One is already on his way,” he said.
Dr Dhege noted that despite having 30 beds, the hospital was already attending to nearly 12 000 patients annually.
“The hospital’s major interest has been in deliveries. It handles at least 60 deliveries per month and 600 per year. But lately, it was referring at least 15 expectant mothers to Chegutu District Hospital, where, sometimes, they would be transferred to Sally Mugabe Hospital in Harare or Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital,” he explained.
First built in the 1940s as a local clinic, Mhondoro Rural Hospital was upgraded to a rural hospital in 1988.
“It was prudent that we have a theatre facility here to lessen the burden of other health facilities. We had no doctors here. Now they are coming. There will soon be surgical operations being undertaken here.
“We are also making plans to increase nursing staff at the hospital and we are so grateful that we now have an ambulance,” said Dr Dhege
Mashonaland West Provincial Secretary Mr Josphat Jaji said development of the hospital is a huge step towards achieving Vision 2030.
In his speech during commissioning of the hospital last week, President Mnangagwa said Government has taken a bold step to scale up responsive measures towards ensuring efficient and quality service delivery in the health delivery sector, especially in rural areas.
“Interventions in the health system must incorporate people’s needs and priorities while complementing the thrust of the devolution and decentralisation agenda, which we are championing as the Second Republic. To further help accelerate achievement of outcomes of universal health coverage, stakeholders in the health and pharmaceutical sector must also develop and adopt supply chains that are responsive to community needs and the overall national development ethos,” he said.
Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter