The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council has received a donation of goods worth US$82 000 from the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA) that will be channeled to Thorngrove Infectious Disease Hospital where Covid-19 patients are admitted.
The donation was received Mayor Councillor Solomon Mguni and Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Judith Ncube on Tuesday morning.
The donation from OSISA came at a time when the city has just opened the refurbished Thorngrove Isolation Ward for admission of Covid-19 patients.
The consignment consists of 30 hospital beds, mattresses and lockers, 10 intensive care unit (ICU) beds and mattresses, 10 intravenous drip rod drops, five resuscitation trolleys; five tables and chairs; 30 hospital cardiac tables; 600 medical gloves and 2000 medical gowns.
OSISA executive director Mr Siphosami Malunga, in his address said they were assisting the city realise its goal of providing health care to Covid-19 patients also looking at its proximity with South Africa where there is a deadly wave of the virus.
“OSISA believes that these interventions will go a long way in saving lives and complementing the efforts of Governments and other non-state actors all of whom are actively fighting to stem the tide of this pandemic. We applaud all these efforts and call on Governments to ensure that citizens’ rights are protected, guaranteed and provided even within the Covid-19 environment and in line with their social contract obligations,” said Mr Malunga.
Clr Mguni said he was grateful for the gesture and unity of purpose that organisations like OSISA and others have shown in assisting the city during this Covid-19 pandemic.
“The City of Bulawayo is grateful to be today receiving this big consignment of state-of-the-art hospital equipment and essential health care products towards the fight Against the Covid -19 pandemic.
The unity of purpose is shown through the various partners that have come on board to assist the council in ensuring we had enough personal protective clothing and hospital equipment to cater for the admitted and patients at home,” said Clr Mguni.
Clr Mguni said the number of cases that have been recorded in the city and in the country have been increasing since reports of the first Covid-19 case in the country a year ago.
The pandemic posed a number of challenges for health care workers and government alike. The challenges which were faced by the City of Bulawayo and many other local authorities was the availability of enough hospital beds and equipment to cater for the increasing number of cases.
Minister Ncube said the donation was praiseworthy as it would complement the environment at the hospital for both workers and patients which has to be conducive at all times.
She said commitment and dedication shown by partners such as Mr Malunga through OSISA and front-line workers during this time has been tremendous as it is critical towards fighting Covid-19.
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