adminSamuel Kadungure Health Reporter
AN initiative to convert a farm infrastructure in Nyazura into a full-fledged hospital is set to boost Manicaland’s health delivery system while helping the country to attain set targets of the Millennium Development Goals. The founding of Mount Olive Mission Hospital, a hub for persons with disabilities, by a local NGO, District Outreach for Care and Support (DOCAS), is set to have an immediate positive impact in Manicaland and beyond by meeting health requirements of both the usually marginalised physically challenged community and the able bodied.
The Mt Olive Mission Hospital project is estimated to cost $2,4 million and The Manica Post understands that more health equipment and accessories are on their way into the country from abroad, while expatriate doctors undertake monthly visits to the institution.
Some equipment, beds and essential accessories are already in place.
Before the establishment of the clinic, the infrastructure was housing shebeens and tuck shops that were being leased out for financial gain by a selected few who are allegedly opposed to the new development.
However, the decision has been hugely endorsed by the community for bringing relief especially to the disabled, pregnant women and the elderly who were travelling at least 40km to Rusape or Mutare and 140km to Murambinda Mission Hospital for specialist treatment.
Villagers in Ward One last week endorsed the project which is set to serve more than 30 000 people.
Special Advisor on Disability in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Retired Brigadier-General Felix Muchemwa, who visited the former farmhouse – which belonged to the former Defence Minister De Cock, decried acute shortage of health centres in resettlement areas.
Rtd-Brig Gen Muchemwa, a former Minister of Health, said Government and development partners must build health and education facilities within the five-kilometre radius.
“We have taken land, and some still want to take advantage of that to grab everything in sight, forgetting about what we agreed during the war that when we liberate the country we should build health institutions and schools after every five kilometres.
“This is the development that we fought for. You cannot stand in the way of such a development. How do we expect the people to survive without a hospital? This nation came at a cost and we do not want black oppressors in our midst. Do not be like the whites. Let us build our nation by building clinics and schools to save and educate the people,” said Rtd Brig-Gen Muchemwa.
The project faced resistance from a handful of people from the area who, apart from losing monthly rentals, fear that DOCAS would eventually evict them from their plots.
Government has made it clear that nobody would be displaced.
The hospital project was allocated seven hectares of State land only, which largely encompasses the existing farm infrastructure.
Civil servants who were living in the main house were relocated to a nearby farmhouse which was renovated by DOCAS.
Ward 1 councillor Cde Luckson Maranga said the community was happy about the development since it had a significant number of unwell and disabled people who were struggling to access health care and rehabilitative services.
“Some are opposed to this project because they are still fit, but who knows one day you could be disabled. Let us not oppose this development just for the sake of it. This is the best development we can ever have as a ward,” he said.
Researched and documented evidence show that disabled people the world over, are discriminated regardless of where they are found or their race although the discrimination is worse in developing countries. Discrimination on disability is a colourless sin which appears to be difficult to eradicate.
In pursuance of the goal of improving the lives of the disabled, the United Nations came up with 22 (themes) articles of Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for persons with disabilities.
These standard rules act as a practical benchmark of a non-discriminatory society.
The local hospital board chairperson, Cde Buwejena, said there was no going back on the development.
Some of those set to benefit from the institution are the Gwizo and Chisuko family members whose limbs were paralysed by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – a genetic disease that weakens muscles.
The children are currently at DOCAS boarding house, from where they are being pushed in wheelchairs to and from Odzi Primary School.
DOCAS founder and chief executive officer Reverend Togara Mapingure said the children will be transferred to Mt Olive Hospital by December.
The hospital will adopt a village concept.
Five children — Tawanda (12), Learnmore (7), Courage Gwizo (5), Blessing (10) and Alan Chisuko (5) — have been enrolled for Grade One at Odzi Primary School after their “intellect was certified good” by the education psychological services.
Rtd Brig-Gen Muchemwa met the children at Odzi.
The disease is a neuromuscular condition caused by the lack of a protein called dystrophin that results in progressive muscle weakness.
It is a genetic disease and the children inherited this condition from their mothers Naomi Sahumani-Gwizo (34) and Mirriam Sahumani (32) – blood sisters.
The children are bed-ridden and could not walk or pick themselves up.
They have grown deformities around joints and were developing learning and behavioural difficulties, which according to medical explanation, arise from the effect the disease has on the brain, creating physical limitations.
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