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Rotarians
to the rescue at ailing hospitals
Pamenus
Tuso, The Zimbabwean
December 04, 2013
http://www.thezimbabwean.co/news/zimbabwe/69640/rotarians-to-the-rescue-at.html
The Rotary Club
of Tsawwasen in Canada, in conjunction with the local Rotary clubs,
has acquired $350,000 of medical items to help improve primary healthcare
in the country.
The consignment,
made up of medicines and equipment, was sourced under the Path to
Health project. Country coordinator for the project Rodney Beadon
spoke to The Zimbabwean at a handover ceremony at Mpilo hospital.
“As dedicated
teams of Rotarians from Canada and Zimbabwe, we have sourced medical
goods worth $350,000, and these will be distributed equally throughout
the country’s provinces. The goods include items such as stationery,
hospital furniture, wheelchairs, gurneys, drip stands, operating
tables and delivery ward equipment,” said Beadon.
He said that
Path to Health worked closely with local Rotary clubs and hospital
staff to identify institutions in dire need of help.
“Care
is taken not to duplicate equipment. Through our extensive Rotary
network throughout the country, we engage with hospitals or clinics
in need. We carry out surveys and come up with a list of needs.
We then have the formidable task of sourcing the equipment and funding,”
said Beadon.
Some of the
hospitals set to benefit from the programme are Mvuma, Gwanda, Mt
Selinda and Marondera hospitals.
Zimbabwe’s
public health sector has been bedeviled by numerous problems and
now has a maternity mortality rate of 790 per 100,000 live births,
compared to 390 in the late 1990s. Eight women die every day while
giving birth.
In addition,
100 children between birth and five years old die every day, mainly
due to preventable diseases.
Only a decade
ago, Zimbabwe’s public health system was ranked among the
best in sub-Saharan Africa. But, just like the rest of the country’s
economic and social fabric, the health system has taken a frightening
plunge.
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