Kadoma hospital in intensive care

The referral hospital used to be an envy of many because of its infrastructure and human resources in the early 80`s. But 34 years after independence, government has failed to maintain the infrastructure resulting in serious dilapidation of buildings and equipment. The hospital can no longer cope with demand.

It faces a critical shortage of drugs, medical staff, water, food, linen and funding and has been hit by an exodus of qualified staff. The morale of those remaining is at the lowest ebb due to poor working conditions.

Some patients are forced to sleep on the floor due to shortage of beds while others have to bring their own linen to cover themselves from the vagaries of weather. The roofs at the hospital are collapsing.

Water is provided by the Kadoma fire brigade, which brings a bowser to fill a tank provided by a donor.

“The equipment here is old and needs replacement. We are finding it difficult to carry out our operations because the equipment is old and there need for complete overhaul of the hospital,” said Angline Masimire, a senior nurse.

She said there was need for a high voltage generator for the operating theatre. Most of the time they are forced to transfer patients to other hospitals such as Chinhoyi and Harare due to non- availability of a backup generator to carry out operations.

“The hospital is not being spared from load shedding and this putting the lives of patients at risk. There is need for Zesa to put a line direct to the hospital,” she said. There is no laundry machine at the hospital as the one which was bought in 1930 is no longer functional and the hospital is operating without an auto clip machine – used for sterilization of equipment.

The hospital faces a critical shortage of food and patients are constantly fed on sadza and cabbage.

Patients interviewed called on the government to do something about the ailing hospital. “The situation is bad. I was admitted for two weeks and my relatives were bringing food for me. The diet is pathetic. There is no food to improve health of patients,” said Clive Tembo, 26, of Rimuka Township.

“Our government has failed us. Imagine a hospital constructed in 1930 is still operating without some basic equipment such as an auto clip to sterilize the medical tools. It`s a shame,” said Miriam Nziramasanga of Mashumaville.

A local medical doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity said things has fallen apart in the government medical centres and there is need for a political will for those in power to make sure that the needs of the poor are catered for.

“We are facing tough times here. The hospital is collapsing while the politicians are busy feeding their stomachs. It`s a sad story that people are dying of simple ailments that can be cured because of greed leadership,” he said.