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The Herald, February 23, 1980
THE first of a possible four field hospitals, each worth about $100 000, arrived in Salisbury from West Germany yesterday.
The hospital, the gift of a branch of the German Evangelical Church called Bread for the World, weighed 32 tonnes and arrived on a chartered aircraft associated with the German airline, Lufthansa – the first such aircraft to land in Salisbury, the airline’s representative here, Mr Mike Kahn, said.
The hospital was received on behalf of Christian Care and a number of other organisations by Father Ted Rogers, head of the School of Social Work in Salisbury.
Father Rogers said the gift had been made as part of the donor’s interest in projects in the Third World.
The exercise had been organised by the World Council of Churches. The hospital has 100 inflatable mattresses and is equipped with a wide range of equipment, including surgical, catering, and sterilising appliances.
It will go to St Paul’s Mission, near Lupani, as it is there that it “will serve the most pressing need”.
The decision was based on reports that more than 200 people daily had been unsuccessfully asking for treatment at the nearby assembly point.
The hospital will be initially staffed by an International Committee of the Red Cross doctor and two nurses.
There is also the possibility that local medical assistants will be recruited. Funds to run the hospital will come initially from Christian Care, The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the ICRC, and Association for Rhodesian Church Hospitals.
It was also possible that the Government would be asked for funds, Father Rogers said. He said four of the hospitals had been requested but it was not yet known whether they could be made available.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- A field hospital, which is also known as a mobile medical unit is a temporary hospital or clinic.
- Mobile medical units are essential in the provision of critical medical facilities to hard-to-reach areas. The First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has been doing sterling work in providing cancer screening services across the country through the use of her Angel of Hope Foundation’s mobile clinic.
- The provision on field hospitals requires a lot of financial assistance, which calls for Government to partner with aid agencies.
Online Reporter