Story by Providence Maraneli
THE emergency air ambulance service is proving to be a life-saving innovation in rural communities, with the Brunapeg area in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South, reaping the benefits.
Located along the Zimbabwe-Botswana border, the community is witnessing first-hand the transformation of the healthcare system under the Second Republic, a true testament that improved access can indeed save lives.
They attest to having watched more than 10 critically ill patients being airlifted from St Anne Hospital to Harare and Bulawayo. This transformation has brought new hope for waiting mothers like Perpetual Ndlovu.
“I am so confident because whatever the situation is, we now can have a helicopter to carry us to a bigger hospital; we are so happy,” she said.
St Anne’s Hospital has become a shining example of this transformation under the Second Republic.
“We are walking in dreamland, we have seen a massive transformation of this hospital happening before our eyes, now I have witnessed more than 10 patients in the past few weeks being airlifted,” a community member said.
“We are happy lives will be saved, and we see that the government is looking after us,” a villager said.
“We want to thank the government for this because, in a normal time, you would take five hours to go to Bulawayo, but now a patient takes 45 minutes,” another community member said.
The hospital, which serves more than 30 000 people, has also received a new X-ray machine while the theatre was refurbished.
“Over and above the renovations that have happened at this hospital, we are happy that the air ambulance services have come in handy to the community. You know the distance from here to Bulawayo is very far on a bad road, so the coming in of the emergency air ambulance has changed the health system of this area,” Provincial Medical Director, Dr Andrew Muza said.
The air ambulance service dovetails with the National Development Strategy One, which seeks to transform public health outcomes by tackling the inherent weaknesses and improving service delivery across the health sector.
“St Anne’s Mission Hospital has always been a beacon of service and compassion in this region. The collaboration between the government, the Church, and partners here is a demonstration of unity in purpose. Together, we are proving that healthcare delivery is not the responsibility of government alone, but of every stakeholder who values human life,” Minister of State for Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Albert Nguluvhe said.
Since the advent of the Second Republic, Matabeleland South has witnessed substantial progress in infrastructure development, with more than 30 rural health service centres being constructed using devolution funds, finances from development partners, and the Constituency Development Fund.
The US$300 million Beitbridge border post modernisation stands as a flagship project, symbolising the region’s transformation and the government’s commitment to leaving no one and no place behind.
