Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – It was all smiles at St Anthony’s Msiso Mission Hospital as the health institution received a special diagnostic machine from the Japanese Embassy to Zimbabwe through its partnership with Solidamed.
The Embassy deputy head of mission delivered the Chemistry Analyser Machine which is worth more than US$ 25 000.
Zaka District Medical Doctor Dr Mutero Mupereki said they are happy for such a donation which he said was facilitated by Solidamed, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) which works in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoCC).
He thanked the Japanese Embassy and Solidamed saying the machine would go a long way in improving access to health in the district where some patients who require the services of the machine have had to part ways with a lot of money as they were always referred to Masvingo and would get the services at private hospitals.
“I want to thank the Embassy and Solidamed for making life easier for us and our patients. We can now monitor the local patients because for the past six years we had no such a machine and we would always refer our patients to private laboratories in Masvingo.
“So imagine travelling from some of the areas down there to Masvingo where they will be charged again for the service since they could not access it at public hospitals,” said Dr Mupereki.
He described the machine as a ‘life saver’ saying it takes a very short time to run the diagnosis a development which means they can serve many people a day.
“This machine will enable us to serve our larger clientele as we want to monitor our patients routinely and timely at a very low cost. We are expecting to have an influx of patients from neighbouring districts who would want to use the machine,” he added.
Most public health facilities have been facing a host of challenges from drugs, equipment and even human resource as at some points in time health personnel would boycott work over poor conditions at work places coupled with poor salaries.
