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Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Reporter
FOMBE Rural Health Centre in Nyanga North has benefitted from a piped water system that seeks to improve the health facility’s water supply and enable it to operate more efficiently.
The piped water scheme project which is being implemented by Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA) will provide the health facility with a steady and adequate source of water for its various functions.
In an interview during a recent tour of the agency’s projects, Minister of Provincial Affairs in the Office of the President, Minister Lovemore Matuke, said enough water supply is crucial for the community, particularly during the current cholera outbreak.
He further said the piped water system does, not only benefit locals, but also nearby schools.
The project is expected to be completed by today (Friday).
“The piped water system reduces the risk of waterborne diseases and improves hygiene and sanitation standards at the centre. The water challenges had turned into a health hazard especially during this past year when cholera became a menace in the country.
“For quite some time, staff had to fetch water 10km away from the clinic, prompting the traditional leadership to order people to bring their own water to the clinic for them to be served. This was after they had realised that a health time bomb was ticking there. They could not operate without water, which is why we have fixed the borehole which is only a kilometre away so that patients and staff have access to clean water,” he said.
Minister Matuke said the water will, not only benefit patients and staff, but also the surrounding community.
“Plans are underway for the same line to be stretched so that it supplies Fombe Primary and Secondary schools which are 6km away. The water source shows that it has a lot of water. We have inspected it and we want to make sure that the whole community benefit soon,” he said.
He said as RIDA, they are creating small irrigation schemes across the country by having solar powered boreholes and nutrition gardens for communities.
“This year, we have already repaired at least 1 000 boreholes as RIDA. We are mainly focusing on areas that are critical like Fombe where people are at risk of contracting cholera and other waterborne diseases because of lack of proper WASH services,” said Minister Matuke.
He said RIDA had repaired at least 70 percent of the damaged boreholes across the country.
The situation at Fombe Rural Health Centre was dire due to lack of water for months.
In an interview, Village head Nyandoro, Mr Kennias Gumanyonje said they had resorted to requesting community members to supply the clinic with water after realising that the staff had to walk for almost 10km to fetch water from the nearest source, leaving the clinic unattended.
“Water challenges were so bad at the clinic and we had to asked villagers to bring their own water bottles for use as they received health services. We are grateful that our borehole has been repaired and the water challenges are now a thing of the past,” he said.
In briefing Minister Matuke on the clinic’s challenges, nurse aid at the clinic, Miss Yvonne Mukweva said they closed the clinic’s waiting mothers’ shelter because of lack of water.
“It had become a very big challenge for us to attend to expecting mothers. We were referring them to Mukunza Clinic and Elim Mission Hospital, which are about 30 to 50km away. The situation was so dire as we lost some mothers and babies on the way. We are glad that we can now resume our waiting mothers’ shelter now that water supply has been restored,” she said.
The health centre provides services to a minimum of 2 000 people, most of whom travel from Mashonaland East and Mozambique.
A villager, Ms Febby Chindoti, who recently had to travel to Mukunza Clinic to access health services as an expecting mother, expressed gratitude to RIDA for installing the piped water scheme at the clinic, saying it was a great relief to them.
“It is not child play to travel to Mukunza or Chimusasa clinics to access health services. Being ill and travelling such long distances was a big challenge as this further compounded our woes. We are very thankful to Government for installing the water piped system at the clinic,” she said.
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