A group of Zimbabwean expatriates living in the UK has donated medical equipment and supplies worth more than US$18 000 to Mabvuku Polyclinic.
Report by Our Staff
The group’s representative, Francis Ndowa, said 20 Zimbabweans working in health-related fields in Geneva, Switzerland, formed the Zimbabwe Network for Health — Europe (ZimHealth) as a response to problems he and his wife found after visiting the country in 2008.
Between 2008/09, a serious cholera outbreak hit Zimbabwe, claiming 4 000 lives.
Over the past five years, the group has been fundraising for donations from Zimbabweans in the diaspora, the City of Geneva and the Oak Foundation, among others.
Equipment donated to Mabvuku Polyclinic includes suction pumps, blood pressure machines, petri dishes, kidney dishes and kick balls, among other things used in treatment.
ZimHealth this year spent US$130 700 in supporting Mabvuku and five other under-resourced clinics in the country.
Other beneficiaries include Phakama Clinic in Gwanda, Mtapa Clinic in Gweru, Nyamhunga Clinic in Kariba and two other clinics in Kadoma.
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Clinics assisted in previous years include the Sakubva Health Centre Complex in Mutare, Pelandaba Clinic in Bulawayo, Mkoba Polyclinic in Gweru, three clinics in Masvingo and the Edith Opperman Maternity Hospital in Mbare.
“The good thing is this is being done by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans,” Ndowa said. “We are also supporting five other institutions this year.”
Ndowa worked for the City of Harare’s health department for 13 years before serving the World Health Organisation in Geneva for 16 years. Speaking at the event, acting mayor Emmanuel Chiroto said it was heart-warming to see that while other diasporans would only focus on themselves, there were some who remembered to contribute to the country’s well-being.
“Some even forget their parents,” Chiroto said. “But these ones remember the whole of Mabvuku, a whole city and the whole country.
Information from City of Harare’s health services department indicates that Mabvuku Polyclinic serves a population of up to 500 000 people.
