Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
HEALTHCARE is a shared responsibility, not the sole duty of doctors and nurses, Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital medical superintendent, Dr Hilary Makiwa has emphasised.
His call for community support comes as the hospital braces for a surge in patients, many of whom arrive with limited resources.
The appeal follows a heart warming gesture by Mutare Polytechnic students, who on Tuesday donated 76 blankets to the hospital’s female and maternity wards — a contribution that will provide warmth and dignity to patients in need.
As winter approaches, Dr Makiwa warned that public healthcare facilities are under immense strain and urged communities to play their part in sustaining the healthcare system.
“As a provincial hospital, we serve a large population across Manicaland, which has millions of people, and many complicated cases from district hospitals eventually come here. Many of our patients come from far, often with very little. In our wards, especially during the colder months, a blanket is more than just fabric.
“It is warmth, comfort, and tells a patient, ‘you are seen and cared for’” he said, adding that to women admitted in the maternity wards after childbirth, elderly battling respiratory infections, or patients recovering from surgery, a clean and warm blanket can make a significant difference.
“These 76 blankets will go directly to our female ward and maternity ward. For a mother recovering after delivery, for an elderly patient with a chest infection, for a young woman going through emotional distress, this donation will make the hospital stay more bearable. That is the real impact of what has been done today,” said Dr Makiwa.
Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital is a major referral centre in Manicaland, receiving patients from districts such as Nyanga, Chimanimani, Chipinge, Buhera, Mutasa, Mutare and Makoni, and as a result, pressure on resources often increases, especially during cold months, when cases of pneumonia, flu and other respiratory illnesses tend to rise.
“When colleges, schools, churches and businesses come together, our burden at the hospital becomes much lighter. We are stronger together. To the students of Mutare Polytechnic, I hope you see today that your skills extend beyond the classroom. Whether you are studying Engineering, Business or Hospitality, you have the power to heal communities. You have done that today,” he said.
The blankets were bought through a student-led fundraising initiative under Mutare Polytechnic’s National Studies module, with students contributing from their own allowances and pocket money.
Mutare Polytechnic principal, Ms Poniso Watema said the donation showed that young Zimbabweans are ready to serve their communities when given the right guidance.
“This gesture, though seemingly simple, carries with it a powerful message that the young people of Zimbabwe care. These blankets are not just a donation.
“They are the fruit of a voluntary fundraising effort driven by our students,” said. Ms Watema, adding that the students raised US$1 284 to purchase the blankets, with some sacrificing 30 percent of their pocket money.
“That is character. That is what we call hunhu/ubuntu in action,” she said.
She said the institution is committed to produce graduates who are, not only academically qualified, but also socially responsible.
“This shows that we are training a well-rounded graduate who is willing to fulfil civic responsibility by giving time, energy and resources to help others. For patients in hospitals, away from the comfort of their own homes, battling illness and vulnerability, warmth is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It is dignity. We hope that each blanket handed over today brings comfort and warmth to a mother recovering after childbirth, or a woman fighting to regain her strength. May they feel through these blankets that their community has not forgotten them,” she said.
Student representative, Miss Idah Manwere, said the project began after students were challenged in class to put lessons on patriotism, civic duty and community service into practice.
“When we first sat in our National Studies classes and began learning about civic responsibility, some of us wondered how it applied to us as students. We are young. We are still learning. What difference can we possibly make?” she said, adding that lecturers encouraged them to start with what they had.
“They reminded us that civic responsibility is not something you practise when you are older, richer or more powerful. It begins now. It begins with what you have, where you are, and with the people around you. We identified Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital’s female and maternity wards as areas where we could make a practical impact.
“Each one of us contributed what we could. No amount was too small, and no effort was too little.
“We came together and raised US$1 284 because we genuinely care,” she said.
