Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Mat South Bureau Chief
GWANDA Provincial Hospital last week received medical equipment and sundries under a partnership between the Government, Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) and Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), which seeks to enhance the institution’s preparedness for disasters.
The consignment includes surgical sundries worth US$10 000, wheelchairs, bedding comprising mattresses, blankets and sheets.
The project, titled “We Care” seeks to enhance health care services in the country and will see three major hospitals, including Gwanda Provincial Hospital, being capacitated.
Speaking during the handover of medical equipment and sundries at the Gwanda Provincial Hospital, Transport and Infrastructural Development Deputy Minister, Joshua Sacco, commended Zinara and TSCZ for their shared commitment to social investment and for recognising that road development must walk hand in hand with human development.
Deputy Minister Sacco said a safe transport system includes well-resourced hospitals. He said prevention and response in accidents must go hand in hand
“This handover isn’t just a routine act of corporate social responsibility, it’s a powerful gesture of compassion, of solidarity and of the values that define a people-centred Government that truly leaves no one and no place behind.
“The donation we are witnessing today, is a tangible response to the everyday challenges faced by our healthcare system, particularly in the provinces and a reminder that the work of Government must be felt not just in policies and plans, but in bedsides and clinics, in healing and hope,” he said.
The Deputy Minister described Gwanda Provincial Hospital as a critical health referral institution serving the broader Matabeleland South region, hence the need for its capacitation.
He said most injuries attended to at the institution are a direct consequence of road crashes, hence the involvement of TSCZ.
“By stepping in to support this hospital, TSCZ is taking responsibility beyond awareness campaigns and into post-crash care, which is a critical pillar of road safety that is often overlooked. This donation is a statement that even in the face of economic hardship, community needs remain a priority,” he said.
Deputy Minister Sacco said the support by Zinara and TSCZ reflects a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of the national development priorities.
He said when roads bring patients to hospitals, health facilities must be ready and when accidents happen, response systems must be equipped to respond quickly, efficiently and compassionately.
Zinara board chairman, Dr George Manyaya, said under the “We Care” project, three major hospitals along major highways will be capacitated.
“This donation is a culmination of a thoughtful process by Zinara and the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, after noting the ever-increasing cases of road carnage on our roads. This is also our way of standing with the nation in a very real and tangible way, reflecting our commitment not just to road infrastructure, but to the lives affected when tragedy strikes on our roads.
“The unfortunate reality is that where there is transport, there is also risk of accidents.
“Many of these accidents result in severe injuries that require urgent and professional medical care. In such critical moments, hospitals like Gwanda Provincial Hospital are the frontline defenders responding not only to everyday health challenges, but also to the human cost of road traffic incidents,” he said.
Dr Manyaya said the donation is a reaffirmation of the organisation’s responsibility to communities that use Zinara funded roads.
In a speech read on his behalf by acting Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe board chairman Mr Lawrence Musendekwe, the board chairman, Dr Kura Sibanda, said there is great concern over the increase in the number of people who lose their lives during the first 60 minutes after a road crash.
“The golden hour is therefore a crucial period immediately after an injury when life-saving medical or surgical intervention can offer the highest chance of survival. It is in this regard that we have targeted Gwanda Hospital, such that when and if a road crash occurs and our people require assistance surely help will be close by.
“As the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, we aim to complement Government’s efforts of leaving no place and no one behind in retooling, reequipping, rehabilitating and renovating government institutions in our country,” he said.
In a speech read on his behalf by Deputy Director for the Administration Department, Mr Ndodana Dlamini, Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Albert Nguluvhe said the intervention will have a huge impact on the lives of patients and healthcare professionals.
The Minister appealed to corporates across the province to partner Government in its development agenda as the country surges towards attaining Vision 2030.
@DubeMatutu
