The Sunday News
DIASPORA communities can make a unique contribution to the development of their home countries —especially towards building physical capital and productivity, and ultimately helping to boost job creation, living standards, and higher growth. How do they do this? First, they send money home in the form of remittances.
Migrants from emerging and developing countries sent home $430 billion in 2016 —three times more money than their home countries receive in financial assistance from other countries or international financial institutions and a substantial portion of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in a statement on its website.
The IMF adds that; “Every year, millions of people leave their countries of birth in search of better opportunities abroad. Often, these migrants are among the most talented workers in their home countries. At first glance, this is a loss for the home countries, which invested considerable time and money in educating and developing these people, only to watch them leave.
But look again. With the right policies, home countries can make use of their diaspora communities—which include emigrants and their descendants — to support the economy.”
Zimbabweans based in the diaspora have also played their part, with massive contributions to various sectors of the economy. Last week, a United Kingdom-based Bulawayo man donated hospital equipment worth more than US$40 000 to Mpilo Central Hospital through his organisation. Mr Dumisani Moyo, the founder of Dumi International Aid (DIA), donated 26 electronic hospital beds, 16 mattresses and bed trays to Mpilo’s Ward B6.
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
According to our sister paper, Chronicle, the organisation adopted the ward in 2016 and has been working hard to improve it and ensure patients are comfortable. The hospital beds donated have side rails that can be raised or lowered to accommodate the patient. The mattress base is made of three jointed sections that make it easy for the head to be raised or lowered, and do the same for the middle part of the bed and the foot side. It also has an electronic crank that allows the patient to lie in various positions for comfort. The movable bed trays can be easily adjusted and turned into a table for the patient so that they can eat while lying on the bed.
Mpilo Central Hospital is a major referral health centre receiving patients from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South, Midlands and Masvingo provinces.
The Chief Medical Officer of the hospital, Dr Narcisius Dzvanga, said he was happy with the state-of-the-art beds, adding that the donation will go a long way in improving the livelihoods of patients at the hospital. He, however, said the ward was still in need of more amenities to enhance the welfare of patients at the hospital.
“We still need bedside lockers for the patients and more stretchers so that moving around the ward can be easy. We are also in need of wheelchairs because they are a big part of the hospital. Apart from that, we are happy with the work that DIA has been doing since 2016 because no nurse liked working in this ward since it had potholes and broken windows but it is now one of the best wards in this hospital. We promise that we will keep the equipment here very safe and it will not be put to waste,” said Dr Dzvanga.
We salute the work done by DIA, and other like-minded people and organisations.
