Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
A UNITED Kingdom-based pastor has donated drugs and hospital consumables to Mpilo Central Hospital to ease the burden on the largest referral hospital in the southern part of the country.
Mpilo Central Hospital receives patients from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South, Midlands and Masvingo.
Reverend Alan Charredee lived in Zimbabwe in the 1980s and has been consistently visiting the country in the past 25 years where he donates to hospitals across the country.
In an interview recently after handing over hospital consumables at Mpilo Central Hospital, Rev Allan Clarredge said he would continue supporting the country’s health sector.
“I left the country in 1983 and after leaving the country I decided there was a need to set up a charity in England named Rivers of Living Water which would collect and bring stuff to hospitals. This has been going on for about 25 years,” said Rev Clarredge. “Each year we bring a huge amount of stuff and spend several weeks here putting the equipment in hospitals.
“I’m a church minister there so we brought medicines from people in the UK, from my congregation and from the Bournemouth community. They collect medicines which they no longer need and bring them to me. From as little as aspirin, paracetamol right up to much bigger items.”
He said he was happy that junior doctors have returned to work as it was important that they put patients first.
Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya commended Rev Clarredge for his contributions.
“We greatly appreciate this donation and we are touched because of the commitment which the Reverend has done. He has been there more than 20 years, 25 years and he provided a vital machine in water purification which is needed to run our labs. He runs other things in Gweru, Kadoma, Hwange and Plumtree,” said Dr Ngwenya.
He said unity was key in lifting the health standards in the country. “Most of the medicines are imported, the equipment is imported.
He actually brought in equipment that has saved us foreign currency.
Without foreign currency we would be crippled as it is needed to acquire equipment and buy drugs,” said Dr Ngwenya.
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