adminPamela Shumba, Chronicle Reporter
VILLAGERS from Tokwana in Bulilima District have embarked on the construction of a clinic set to benefit people from five villages who are walking long distances to the nearest health centre. In an interview yesterday, one of the sponsors of the project, a local businessman and farmer who comes from Tokwana, Mr Elliott Nleya, said the construction project would be completed in the next two months and would be handed over to the Government.
“Last year we engaged the Bulilima Rural District Council and they approved our plan. We started raising funds as villagers to buy the materials needed and pay the builders and we have been slowly constructing the clinic. We have also received financial support from individuals and former pupils who attended the local schools in the area,” said Mr Nleya.
“Patients and pregnant women in Tokwana are walking to Sinotsi Clinic, more than 11 kilometres away. This puts patients at risk of losing their lives as some of them default on treatment due to the long distance. The villages that are going to benefit from this clinic include Tjitawudzi, Nhope, Nzinzime, Lulo and Chaheda.”
He said Bulilima Rural District Council pledged to assist with the roofing of the clinic, which was now at window level.
“According to the plan of the clinic, it needs 20 window frames. We bought 10 last year and we have now managed to purchase the remaining 10.
The council pledged to assist us with roofing material and if all goes well, the clinic should be completed in the next two months. After this first phase of our project we will then look at the issue of electricity and water. The Rural Electrification Agency electrified the area and if funds permit, it would be easy for us to electrify the clinic and also drill boreholes,” said Mr Nleya.
He appealed to members of the public and well wishers to assist them in completing the project.
“I am happy that people in this area are hard working and they are committed to the project. At the moment every family is contributing at least R100 towards the payment of the builders and we have a committee led by Mr Agripa Dumani that meets every Wednesday to make sure there is progress,” said Mr Nleya.
“However, the problem is that we are facing challenges in raising adequate funds to make this clinic 100 percent complete. I would like to appeal to well wishers and people in the Diaspora who hail from Tokwana to give us their maximum support.”
Online Reporter