The Sunday News
Fairness Moyana Sunday News Correspondent
HWANGE Colliery Company Limited (HCCL) through its Medical Services division has embarked on outreach programmes in disadvantaged communities within the district in an effort to promote access to health by providing free medical services. The initiative, which is part of the company’s corporate social responsibility kicked off in Kasibo on Wednesday where villagers walk 33km to Mwemba Clinic, the nearest health centre to access medical services.
Over 180 patients managed to access free services that ranged from vaccinations, dental, physiotherapy, HIV/Aids testing and counselling to radiography during the one-day mobile clinic exercise.
The councillor for Mashala Ward, Clr James Phiri expressed joy at the initiative, saying it was going to benefit the community who had limited access to medical services.
“This is a noble idea by the head of the Medical Services and his team which is benefitting a lot of people as you can see the elderly, especially those who couldn’t walk long distances to Mwemba managed to access the medicines they desperately needed. We are grateful as the people of Kasibo and pray that it does not end here but it becomes the norm,” Cde Phiri said.
The HCCL Medical Services division manager Dr Charles Zinyemba said the programme which will be ongoing was meant to enable communities particularly in remote and disadvantaged areas to access health services through outreach free mobile clinics.
“As Hwange Colliery we have seen it prudent to reach out to disadvantaged communities around us in order to promote access to medical services as part of giving back to the community. We have embarked on a programme to provide necessary medical services to these communities most of whom cannot afford the fees or walk long distances to access the services free of charge,” said Dr Zinyemba.
He said the Kasibo outreach was a success as evidenced by the community’s response revealing that four patients who needed specialised attention would undergo surgery at Hwange Colliery Hospital free of charge.
Dr Zinyemba said the initiative was likely to inspire school-going children to become medical professionals through constant interactions between outreach teams and the community.
“Besides the community benefiting healthwise, this programme will also impact positively on school children who will be inspired to become doctors, nurses and dentists through the interactions of the initiative,” he said.
The Kasibo community appealed to Government to build them a clinic, arguing that some villagers end up succumbing to their illnesses in homes after failing either to walk to Mwemba or hire a vehicle to ferry them to St Patricks in Hwange to get medical attention.
“We appreciate what the Colliery is doing here today, it will go a long way in saving a lot of lives but as a lasting solution to our problem of accessing services we appeal to the Government and other stakeholders to build us a clinic so we can get treatment easily and faster so that lives can be saved.
“In our area here people walk long distances, even pregnant women, which can prove to be dangerous as the journeys are embarked on as early as 3am in the morning as the area has wild animals such as elephants, lions and hyenas,” said village head Stephen Sibanda.
