Health transition fund brings smiles to Zaka community

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ZAKA — The Health Transition Fund (HTF) has breathed life into the ailing health delivery services in Zaka district

ZAKA — The Health Transition Fund (HTF) has breathed life into the ailing health delivery services in Zaka district, with the local health facilities now getting drugs and equipment.

BY MOSES CHIBAYA

The two main health facilities in the district, Ndanga Hospital and Chichidza Rural Hospital, are now bustling with activity following the injection of funding through the HTF.

The programme is a multi-donor pooled fund worth US$436 million that is supporting the government in the implementation of the key objectives and strategies as outlined in the Zimbabwe Health Strategy (2009-2013).

Village head, Dzingirai Homba of Ward 22 said before the HTF programme, expecting mothers had to bring along their own clothes, water buckets and candles for lighting.

He said money provided through the HTF was also helping children under five and the elderly.

Mavis Mudzamba, a nurse in charge at Chichidza Rural Hospital, said before the HTF came on board they were an facing shortage of drugs, surgical gloves and detergents.

She said the rural hospital was on average getting US$1 000 every month.

“Our first target was to restock our pharmacy,” Mudzamba said. “For the greater part of last year we were struggling to keep our theatre running but now we are managing.

“There were also challenges with blood transfusion because these require cash up-front but now we are getting the blood and then pay later.”

A volunteer, Tendai Kwasha, (68) said money that came in through the HTF has removed some of the barriers women faced when delivering.

“Pregnant women are now delivering without paying. Expecting mothers often suffer complications because they fail to reach care centres on time due to lack of transport.

“With maternity waiting homes mothers about to give birth have a safe and comfortable environment to wait until they are due,” she said.

She said in the instance that there was any complications at birth, the hospital was now able to hire transport for the patients, thanks to HTF.

She said the other exciting development was that women now had maternity waiting homes where they could stay while waiting to deliver.

Unicef chief of health and Nutrition, Assaye Kassie, said US$114 million has so far been sourced to fund the HTF.