Chronicle Editor
Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]
BULAWAYO residents flocked to the White City Youth Arena in Njube suburb for a health expo organised by the Rotary Club.
The event, which ran from Friday until yesterday, offered free medical services to residents.
Over 2 000 residents were helped during the expo, including receiving testing for various chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and HIV.
Eye examinations, dental care and free medication were also available.
Ms Thandiwe Dube, who received dental care during the event, expressed gratitude for the assistance and hopes more events like it will be organised in the future.
“I had a tooth extraction here. When I first heard about this, I wasn’t sure it would be something good, but I am glad I came and received this dental treatment. I hope more of these will be organised,” she said.
Mr Phineas Moyo was grateful for his eye screening, which provided him with a recommendation letter and medication while he waits for a hospital appointment.
“Doing this kind of check-up at a hospital is tiresome and hard because there are always a lot of people in the queues. I am glad I was able to come here and get the assistance I needed,” he said.
“What is left is for me to go and book for an operation at one of the hospitals, then I believe all will be well. Such health expos are helpful, especially for us old people, as the doctors can come to us and help us here in the neighbourhood.”
Rotary Zimbabwe country coordinator, Mr Sam Chikowore, praised the Ministry of Health and Child Care for providing medical personnel and commended the success of the event, surpassing their benchmark of 700 patients helped.
He said they attended to more than 2 000 patients during the health expo.
“We are happy we were able to help all these residents, and we hope that before the end of this year, we will come back to Bulawayo again. There were several services here, and what makes us happy is that we managed to surpass the 700 benchmarks we had set because it shows how many people were helped and decided to join us during these three days,” said Mr Chikowore. — @flora_sibanda
Online Reporter