Story by Memory Chamisa
Residents of St Mary’s in Chitungwiza this Saturday benefited from a free medical outreach programme organised by the ZANU PF Health, Child Welfare and the elderly department in conjunction with Health Ambassadors4 ED, Forever Associates of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe All Health Workers Union.
A beneficiary told the ZBC News, “I came with my child who is not feeling well and we were attended by the doctor and prescribed medicine for free.”
Another said, “I’m grateful for the outreach programme as this has afforded us a chance to consult the doctors both my mother and I were also given medication for free.”
“I was in pain as my legs are giving me problems because of old age but I was given an injection and I’m feeling much better I pray they do this constantly,” another beneficiary said.
“We thank the doctors and nurses for this initiative as it has afforded us a chance to be treated without paying a single cent. Yes, the clinics we go there but sometimes there is no medicine and here we got some of the medication we could not buy for ourselves,” added another.
ZANU PF Director of Health Child Welfare and The Elderly, Dr Stanford Chigumura highlighted the significance of such medical programmes in ensuring a healthy community.
“Such programmes are imperative for communities that are vulnerable, especially the elderly who at old age suffer a lot of ailments that need to be checked upon regularly so that they’re comfortable in their retirement. Yes, Chitungwiza is also seized with the scourge of drug and substance abuse which has ravaged many communities, our medical personnel are also here to render counselling services to parents and youths,” he said.
Health Ambassadors4ED chairperson, Ms Cynthia Chisiri revealed that the initiative is one of the many to be done in the various communities across the country.
“We have so many doctors and nurses who have taken their time to come and give back to their communities. We are not doing this not in Harare only, but in Masvingo, we also have another team doing the same and this is going to cascade to other provinces as well as we move along with the President’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind in accessing medical services.”
The Second Republic has made significant strides in affording its citizenry world-class health services, with the construction of new clinics and hospitals across the country’s provinces.
