WATCH: Free specialist medical services in Mat North

A TEAM of over 20 volunteer medical doctors, anaesthetists and theatre nurses are offering free medical services under a World Health Organisation (WHO) funded programme which is being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

Hundreds of healthcare seekers countrywide, particularly those with critical conditions and in need of specialist services, have benefited.

The volunteers are in Victoria Falls for a weeklong integrated surgical camp that started on Monday and ends tomorrow. The programme is targeting those with tonsillectomy, adult and paediatric hernia, lipomas and benign tumours.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care is leading the programme with technical support from WHO, Celebration Health and financial support from the Japanese government.

The outreach is being held under the theme “Accelerating access to quality surgical services in Zimbabwe” which is in line with the national agenda of universal access to primary health care.

Similar camps were conducted at Victoria Chitepo Central Hospital in Manicaland where 101 children with hernia were operated on. At Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, 140 tonsillectomy surgeries were conducted, with a mop up exercise underway.

Yesterday, 65 patients had been operated on at Victoria Falls Hospital. The target is 150.

WHO technical officer responsible for SDG3 Government Action Plan, Dr Thenjiwe Sisimayi said the programme also targets to build capacity among health practitioners and health centres. The team leaves behind all the equipment they are using, a development which will help decongest central hospitals since minor surgeries would be conducted in those institutions.

“This is a national programme led by the Ministry of Health with technical assistance from WHO and funded by the government of Japan. It is a pioneer initiative that has never been done here in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Sisimayi.

“This follows the launch of the National Surgical, Obstetric and Anaesthesia Strategy by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga last year in September in response to the dire need for surgical interventions.”

Dr Sisimayi said the programme started in January and will end this month.

“The programme is focusing on addressing four pillars of the health system like service provision and we are targeting children and adults who are receiving free surgical care with support from local health practitioners and hospitals,” she said.

“This is the third camp and patients are also getting post-operative medicines, which are also provided for free.”

Dr Sisimayi said surgery is a key component of universal health coverage and WHO is excited to see the Government of Zimbabwe taking the initiative to accelerate access to surgery and obstetrics to needy patients.

She reiterated WHO’s commitment to continue assisting Zimbabwe in ensuring that universal access to health is attained.

Dr Sisimayi said hospitals are also being capacitated with minor surgical equipment to improve service delivery.

The programme dovetails with Government’s vision of promoting health tourism and promoting reverse migration so that citizens do not cross the border to seek services in other countries.

Hwange District Medical Officer, Dr Fungayi Musinami, said the programme is helpful to local communities as they are accessing free health services at their doorstep.

“These services are usually found at central hospitals and sometimes people go outside borders to seek special healthcare, but now they are receiving it for free. We hope that going forward we will be able to schedule similar regular camps so that people get lifesaving medical attention in line with our national strategy to decentralise services,” she said.

It was a hive of activity at Victoria Falls Hospital yesterday as patients formed long queues to access medical assistance.

Ms Mdumiseni Ndlovu said she learnt recently that her six-year-old daughter Khanyiswa Sibanda had tonsils.

“We didn’t know she had a problem of tonsils. She used to have fever and struggled to eat due to loss of appetite while her temperature would suddenly rise. We went to a doctor who said her adenoids and tonsils were swollen,” she said.

“Luckily it coincided with this programme and they quickly assisted us. We are grateful for that and we hope she will recover quickly.”

Ms Deliwe Ncube from Cross Dete in Hwange District said her son had tonsils for two years, which forced him to regularly miss school

Mrs Masela Sibanda from Victoria Falls said her whole family had a history of tonsils.

She took her five grandchildren aged between 9-14 years and they were all operated on yesterday.

“They all started the problem of tonsils at early stages and they would be given injections. They inherited this from me because I used to have this problem,” said Mrs Sibanda. –@ncubeleon