Story by Abigirl Tembo, Health Editor
CENTRAL hospitals across Zimbabwe have received advanced medical devices, including Fibre Optic Video Laryngoscopes, aimed at improving emergency and critical care as the country advances toward universal health care.
In a health system where every second counts, doctors say this upgrade is not just welcome, it is overdue and worth celebrating.
“So we received a fibre optic laryngoscope. This instrument has a screen and different-sized laryngoscope blades, which can help us in intubating not only normal patients but also patients with difficult airways and also to teach our fellow doctors and nurses how to incubate. I am happy that it came with different-sized blades. The other instrument that we received from the government was the multi-parameter monitor. We received a couple of these. We had previously had problems monitoring our patients in isolated areas of the hospital, so now we are able to reach those patients and monitor their vital signs, so which has definitely enhanced our care of patients.
“We have included a blood warmer. Previously, we were giving cold blood to most of our patients because some of them did not have time to warm it. So this little gadget will assist us to warm blood quickly and administer it quickly, especially in emergencies. This is much cherished. We are glad to receive this one. Then we received fluid infusion pumps, which are definitely going to assist us in monitoring how much fluids we give to our patients. They also decrease the workload of our staff because now we do not need to constantly monitor the rate of fluids going in manually. They can be done with this small gadget.
“We also received syringe pumps. Syringe pumps allow us to give exact amounts of fluids to adults and paediatric patients. So this is definitely going to help us significantly, especially in the medical field. Now we have medical wards where we do not need to bring every patient, for example, the diabetic patients who used to occupy our intensive care beds, now they can be used in the medical wards because they can use their own syringe pumps,” Chitungwiza Central Hospital Clinical Director, Dr Jonah Kasule said.
On top of the Fibre Optic Video Laryngoscope, the government also procured more equipment, ensuring patients receive quality care.
“This equipment includes the fibre optic, we received two of these, and the vital signs monitor, we received four of these, and the infusion pump, we received seven of these, and the syringe pump, we received seven of these, and last but not least, we received the blood warmer. We received them on September 30, and they are fully functional. They are already distributed in several awards,” Hospital Equipment Manager for Chitungwiza Central Hospital, Ms Elizabeth Nyemba said.
Central hospitals are under constant pressure from rising patient numbers and high-risk cases. The arrival of these new gadgets is being hailed as a timely and transformative investment in Zimbabwe’s health delivery system.
“I have been admitted here for the past four years and am happy with the treatment am getting here and as you can see, this is a syringe pump, and I heard it is one of the new equipment bought by the government and we are really grateful to the government because we are getting high quality care,” a patient, Lawrence Hiwa said.
For clinicians on the frontlines, these devices are not just new gadgets; they are the kind of backup every emergency room, every hospital ward wishes it had. And as they roll out across the country, Zimbabwe is stepping into a sharper, safer era of critical care.
