The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints working with the government on Friday handed over a maternity facility at Mbembesi clinic in Insuza to the community. The facility cost US$230 000 to build.
The building work on the site started in July with support from the Rural Based Fund (RBF) and the church took over the construction of the maternity shelter in 2022.
The shelter comprises a delivery room and post-natal area complete with furnishings, showers, toilets, a sluice room, a hot water geyser and solar power.
Medical equipment which includes a prenatal scanner and various other equipment was also donated.
The church also replaced walls and ceilings, refurbished the interior and exterior of existing buildings, and repaired toilets and plumbing.
Speaking during the handover of the Clinic, the Church Representative, president Mzingaye Ndlovu said:
<blockquote>
When we got here, we inquired what we can do to assist in finishing up the clinic.
There was a clinic block that we assisted in finishing up and we started other blocks.
We built houses for the clinic staff and we also put JoJo tanks.
We put a solar system that is not only powering Mbembesi clinic but it’s connected in a way that it feeds to the ZESA grid to assist other communities.
</blockquote>
Minister of State for Matabeleland North and Provincial Affairs, Richard Moyo, commended the church for building the maternity shelter.
He said the construction of the maternity shelter was the fourth project the church has done in Umguza. | <a href="https://cite.org.zw/church-constructs-maternity-facility-at-mbembesi-clinic/">CITE</a>

Pindula News

Church Constructs Maternity Facility At Clinic In Umguza

The Red Cross Society of Zimbabwe has repaired an old and abandoned building in Karoi and converted it into a clinic.
Speaking during the commissioning ceremony, Red Cross secretary-general Elias Hwenga said they intend to build more health centres across the country. He said:
<blockquote>
Our aim is to get more land to build more spacious health facilities including a maternity wing for the communities.
We have taken this stance of establishing health centres around the country to mitigate challenges being faced in the health sector.
We are determined to complement the efforts of our public authorities to ensure that health service is helping communities.
</blockquote>
Before the commissioning of the clinic by the Red Cross Society of Zimbabwe, Hurungwe District had 37 clinics, including 32 from outlying rural clinics for the public and four under the uniformed forces.
Speaking at the same occasion, Mashonaland West provincial medical director Gift Masocha warned health workers to desist from soliciting bribes from patients. Said Masocha:
<blockquote>
Let me make it clear that no patient must pay any extra money to an official at our public health facilities.
It is a criminal offence for any official to be paid any personal money. Once you pay what is required officially, you must get the services.
</blockquote>
He also encouraged patients who feel that they are “ill-treated” by medical staff to report to higher authorities. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200004472/red-cross-society-converts-old-building-into-clinic">NewsDay</a>

Red Cross Society Converts Abandoned Building Into Clinic

A one-year-six-month-old child from Silobini Village died at the gate of Mhlahlandlela Clinic in Matobo, Matabeleland South Province where her parents had waited for about 11 hours begging a security guard and a nurse on duty to assist them.
They, however, failed to get any assistance after the guard and the nurse refused them treatment and admission saying they did not attend to anyone on weekends.
The incident happened two weeks ago.
The child’s father Misheck Maphosa believes his child wouldn’t have died if she had received medical care promptly. He said:
<blockquote>
There is absolutely nothing dignified about watching your child die. No parent should ever have to go through what we have been through.
It was on a Saturday morning and at around 8 am when my wife took our child who had respiratory problems to Mhlahlandlela Clinic for medical attention.
When she got there the security guard then informed her that the clinic does not open on weekends.
My wife then indicated that the banner stated that they attended to emergency cases around the clock but the guard declined and argued that they did not attend to anyone on weekends.
</blockquote>
Maphosa’s wife returned home for lunch around 1 PM and later, Maphosa accompanied his wife back to the clinic to find out why the child had not been attended to. He said:
<blockquote>
When we got there after lunch, we found the nurse on duty at the clinic but she did not attend to us.
She also refused us entry into the clinic. We tried begging her together with the security guard but they refused to allow us inside.
At around 7 PM, I sought the help of a police officer who then talked to the nurse and the clinic was opened at 8 pm. The child died immediately after entering the clinic.
</blockquote>
He said his daughter died at the gate exactly at 8.05 PM.
Silobini Village head Mannford Ndiweni confirmed the incident saying the community is not happy with the nurse in question and community members have since submitted their complaints to her superiors. Said Ndiweni:
<blockquote>
What happened is true and it’s pretty disturbing. We have received a lot of complaints about the nurse from community members and the loss of this child shows that this nurse is not performing her duties of saving the lives of people properly.
We have since set out our findings in detail, along with the recommendations we have made in order to ensure that the lessons of this tragic case which we forwarded to the relevant authorities should never happen again at the clinic.
We are currently waiting for their response because this case needs to be decisively dealt with.
</blockquote>
Matabeleland South provincial medical director (PMD) Dr Rudo Chikodzore said she had not received any report of the event. | <a href="https://www.bmetro.co.zw/child-dies-at-clinic-gate-after-11-hour-wait/">B-Metro</a>

Child Dies At Clinic Gate After 11-hour Wait

Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Larry Mavima, on Wednesday, commissioned a new clinic in Gokwe’s Mapfungautsi area.
The Mapfungautsi Polyclinic will serve over 11 000 households.
The clinic was built at a cost of $35 million from devolution funds and funds raised by the Gokwe Town Council.
It comprises three post-natal rooms, four female wards, four male wards and an outpatients section.
Speaking at the commissioning of the clinic, Mavima commended the local authority and members of the community for contributing to the success of the project. He said:
<blockquote>
Having realised that this project had taken too long to complete, Government committed to providing financial support to Gokwe Town Council.
Accordingly, I am proud to announce that the central Government disbursed over $20.7 million in devolution funds to Gokwe Town Council for this project.
Credit is also given to the council for committing around $14,9 million to this project. The project, therefore, has a total cost of $35.7 million.
Once again, allow me to thank you members of the community for the invaluable support and unity towards the success of this project.
</blockquote>
Gokwe Town Council chairperson, Councillor Never Gwanzura, said the new clinic was a welcome development in the district and expressed hope that Gokwe will attain Municipal status by 2025.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/joy-as-new-clinic-opens-in-gokwe/">The Herald</a></h4>

Mavima Commissions Mapfungautsi Polyclinic In Gokwe

Zimbabwe has opened 10 one-stop clinics to run on pilot across the country. The clinics will offer free diagnosis and treatment to those suffering from tuberculosis and diabetes.
A nurse at the Rutsanana Polyclinic in Harare’s Glen Norah suburb said:
<blockquote>If one is on TB treatment and also has diabetes, and diabetes is well controlled, the chances of recovering very well are very high.</blockquote>
Health Services Manager at the Zimbabwe Platinum Mines, Dr Silence Gavi had this to say:
<blockquote>You find that that combination of low TB prevalence and a rock that is low in silica content and the fact that there is no over-crowding means that our TB figures are almost negligible compared to the national average.
You find that we get one or two or up to three cases in 12 months.</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/zimbabwe-opens-one-stop-clinics-to-help-poor-patients/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewZimbabwe.com</a></h4>

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