MUTARE– One of the city’s Covid-19 isolation facilities, Mutare Infectious Diseases Hospital (MIDH), received a boost from civic society players which donated an assortment of medical supplies.
The donation of 1 500 rapid diagnostic tests, personal protective equipment (PPE) and medicines was facilitated by the Open Society Initiative Southern Africa (OSISA), which provided money for the supplies, and partners the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR).
MIDH, under renovation and rehabilitation works to meet Covid-19 requirements for an isolation centre, has a wing catering for patients but operational challenges due to the shortage of essential drugs and materials, especially PPEs for its staff, has remained a drawback.
Mutare mayor councilor Blessing Tandi applauded OSISA and ZADHR for assisting health care givers at a time council was struggling to mobilize resources to buy adequate PPEs.
He chronicled how the city has been blighted by viability challenges owing to depressed revenue collections and said the donation would boost the morale of its health workers.
“Our revenues have gone down significantly since the beginning of the national lockdown in March so this donation has given us a lifeline.
“This donation is a stitch in time, it will go a long way in boosting the morale of our staff and improve service delivery at our institutions,” he said.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, ZADHR secretary Dr Norman Matara said the donation came through a partnership with OSISA, which provided money for the supplies, to address a global challenge.
He said health workers and frontline workers have succumbed to the pandemic due to lack of adequate PPEs to protect themselves in the fight against the Corona Virus.
ZADHR is also supporting prison, children’s and old people’s homes to ensure they are better prepared to fight Covid-19, although the national infection curve has been slowing down.
“We have noticed that the issue of PPEs is a global challenge and our health workers are left exposed because they do not have the necessary equipment to protect themselves.
“We looked for partners to support us and ensure that we provide PPEs to frontline healthcare workers across the country,” he said.
Mutare health services director Dr Anthony Mutara said council was operating 12 health centres, including the MIDH isolation facility, which made it difficult to keep up with demands for medical supplies.
“We are screening patients as they come in for various ailments and this has put a strain on our already limited resources. We have received support from Government in terms of basic PPEs and medical supplies and as a city, we have also bought protective clothing but consumption of these materials is high and they are quickly depleted and need to be replenished on a regular basis.
“The test kits will help us keep up with screening across the city. When we protect our staff, we stop the transmission from patients to staff and vice versa,” he said
