The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana, Hwange Correspondent
VILLAGERS in Mashala Ward in Hwange District have initiated the construction of a clinic by contributing both financially and in labour as they seek to improve health services delivery in the areas.
The clinic which was mooted in 2014 failed to take off following the economic challenges that saw Hwange Rural District Council shelving most of its developmental projects citing cashflow problems.
Villagers who spoke to Sunday News said they were travelling up to 30 kilometres to the nearest clinic at Simangani while others are forced to travel to Hwange Town to seek medical help.
Mashala headman, Mr Patrick Nyoni said villagers decided to construct the clinic to address the problems of accessing health facilities in the area.
“We started the construction of the health facility after noticing that here in Ward Nine, we were walking long distances to get to the nearest clinic which is in Simangani. We then organised ourselves and contributed towards constructing the clinic and work started on 4 June. Besides providing labour each household contributed $5 towards the project. Most people here are from poor backgrounds and when sickness befalls them they are not even able to look for money to either hire a car to ferry their loved ones or pay bus fare,” said Mr Nyoni.
He said the council had managed to mobilise major building materials such as bricks.
“The good thing that everyone is appreciative of is the location of our clinic which is very strategic considering that it is close to our primary school and road. It makes it easier to access it even in terms of connecting water as there already exists infrastructure which supplies the school. As you can see everyone is doing their best to ensure that the clinic is completed, which will bring relief.”
Ms Patricia Ndlovu, an elderly woman from Mashala Village said women were the most affected due to lack of healthcare facilities in the area.
“As women we bear the burden of taking care of the family and when children or the father is sick, we have to ensure that that person accesses treatment. With the economic situation, it makes it all difficult to hire a vehicle and in emergency cases we have to part with a beast to ensure that a life is saved. When we heard of the construction of the clinic we rose up in our numbers and contributed towards it knowing that it will benefit us as a community. My husband is diabetic and I face a torrid time getting his treatment or him to the nearest clinic because of distance,” she said.
Some women said cases of home births which often led to maternal deaths were common in the area.
When Sunday News visited the construction site last week, villagers could be seen doing different chores such as fetching water, arranging bricks as well as assisting builders.
The clinic currently at foundation level is set to cost $120 000 with council forking out the larger part of the money.
Once complete, the clinic will serve more than 1 000 households from Kasibo, Zvabo, Mashala, Champepo, Makuyu and Chachachunda among other areas.
The clinic will also have a maternity wing to cater for expecting mothers as well as staff cottages.
