admin
Victor Maphosa
Mashonaland East Bureau
Thousands of people from Seke and nearby communities in Mashonaland East received free medical check ups and treatment courtesy of the free outreach of the United Methodist Church in Chitungwiza and Marondera District.
The annual programme was held at Murape Secondary School in Dema on Thursday to Friday last week where medical doctors, nurses and pharmacists devoted their time and expertise to assist people free of charge.
Career guidance and legal experts came to offer their services to students and youths during the two-day programme.
The objective of the programme was centred on the church’s mission of nurturing, witnessing and outreach and is guided by four main pathways which are congregational development, leadership development, poverty reduction and global health.
Chairperson of the UMC Marondera Chitungwiza district Mr Tapiwa Mupari said the programme had received overwhelming response compared to previous years.
“This year we did the programme at Murape Secondary School in Dema after taking a break the previous years owing to Covid-19.
“We offered free medical assistance here. People can consult doctors and receive medication free of charge. We also had lawyers who assisted people freely and offered career guidance to schoolchildren.
“We have partners that we work with which include ZB Bank, Air Zimbabwe and also the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
“We assisted a lot of people this year compared to the previous year. We salute the medical team for offering their services for free. They said their work is a calling to assist people.”Mr Mupari said the church is complementing Government efforts to ensure everyone gets health services across the country.
Dema residents who received free medical assistance thanked UMC for the gesture.
“I am happy to have benefited from this programme. This is a good programme and I pray that those who extended a hand in making sure we get free medication be blessed abundantly. I wish this could never stop and continue so that those who are underprivileged can also benefit,” said Sekuru Dzvairo from Dema.
Amai Paraffin from Zororo village, who had brought in a relative to be assisted, thanked the UMC for the medication.
“I brought my mother who is not well. I am happy that when we arrived, she was assisted free of charge. She was even put on drip and given some medication and we did not pay a single cent for the services.
“Now my mother has been assisted free of charge and we are thankful. We did not know where to get money for her medication and then we heard of this programme and decided to come with her and true to their word, my mother was assisted.”
Amai Goreraza also from Dema commended the programme which she said has assisted the community in a big way.
She encourage the UMC to always conduct such a programme not in Dema alone but across the country.
Online Reporter