adminCletus Mushanawani Senior Reporter
HUNDREDS of less-privileged people in Manicaland have benefited from free medical services offered by visiting team of Indian doctors that arrived in the country on Thursday last week.
The 20-member team, which comprises general surgeons, ophthalmologists, dentists, a dermatologist, a plastic surgeon, an orthopaedic surgeon, a gynaecologist and an anaesthetist has been doing surgical operations since their arrival in Mutare.
Beneficiaries of the programme were ecstatic when The Herald visited Mutare Provincial Hospital yesterday.
Six plastic surgeries have so far been done, while a lot of other patients have benefited from dental, gynaecology and other procedures. Although the team left for Nyanga yesterday, rotarian and co-chairperson of the organising team, Mr Job Torindoh, said more than 100 patients benefited.
“This programme is a follow-up to the one done in 2015,” he said.
“A lot of people were affected by the devastating Cyclone Idai and we realised that they needed medical attention, hence our decision to source a grant to bring these specialised Indians doctors to Mutare.
“We are working in conjunction with our counterparts in Chitungwiza and Chandigarh in India. Everyday, this team has been more than doubling the number of operations at the hospital and their services are proving to be popular with patients from across the province.”
Besides performing various medical procedures, the doctors brought various medical equipment and drugs.
They are offering vocational training to local medical doctors too.
“We realised that there was a yawning need for services, especially among the victims of Cyclone Idai and decided to work with the local corporates in sprucing our provincial referral hospital,” said Mr Torindoh.
“The elevator was not working for the past six months and we had to ensure it was repaired because it serves most patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). We also had to mobilise more resources and equipment from sister institutions in the province to ensure that our referral hospital was in a better condition.”
A beneficiary of the programme, Mr Juxon Muhone, who is recuperating at Mutare Provincial Hospital, said he had a growth on his left leg removed.
Online Reporter