The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
POPULATION Services Zimbabwe (PSZ) has donated US$16 000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) to health facilities in Matabeleland South Province in a bid to assist in the fight against Covid-19.
Speaking on Friday at the Gwanda Provincial Hospital during the handover of the PPEs which comprised hand sanitisers, disposable plastic aprons, sterile gloves, latex gloves, face shields and bin liners, PSZ director, Mrs Pester Siraha said the donation was part of efforts to complement efforts by the Ministry of Health and Child Care. She said they had acquired funding from the Swedish Embassy.
“We are facing an unprecedented global health threat due to Covid-19. This has resulted in huge costs being incurred in the procurement and provision of PPEs. In order to fulfil our mandate to complement efforts by the Ministry of Health and Child Care we are here to present a consignment of PPE materials for use by family planning units in the 18 public health facilities under the public sector strengthening support channel.
“We are fully aware that the challenge we face today requires more co-operation with the private sector, business community, donors, civil society and other stakeholders. It’s our hope that this small gesture will go a long way in ensuring the safety of frontline workers and ensure service provision continuity. I also want to assure you that PSZ remains committed to complementing the Ministry of Health,” said Mrs Siraha.
She extended her gratitude towards the Swedish Embassy for the financial assistance. Mrs Siraha said PSZ remained committed to fulfil its mandate to increase access to comprehensive family planning, sexual reproductive health and general health services. She said PSZ has been providing services in the province of Matabeleland South since 2000.
Mrs Siraha said they scaled up our operations in 2007.
“We have reached a number of milestones in the province which include more than 4 456 mobile outreach visits that we have conducted in the province and we have provided over 300 000 services to men and women in the province.
Our current operations in the province are being funded by the embassy of Sweden. In 2020 alone we managed to provide 20 000 people with comprehensive sexual health reproductive services of which 10 percent were adolescents and 10 percent were people with disabilities.
“As PSZ our current coverage is spread across all 10 provinces of the country. We deliver services through a network of five delivery channels comprising of the following nine static centres, 11 outreach teams, 100 public sector strengthening support sites, contact centres,” she said.
