Herald Reporter
Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, in partnership with Celebration Health and Medshare International, yesterday donated surgical sundries and equipment worth over $600 000 to two health institutions in Mashonaland East Province.

Following a needs assessment of Marondera Provincial Hospital and Mt Saint Mary’s Mission Hospital by a Marondera family, the three institutions sourced and delivered two 40-foot containers weighing 12 tonnes each to the respective institutions.

Most of the sundries and equipment are for use in theatre, rehabilitation and general wards. Speaking during the official handover ceremony at Marondera Provincial Hospital, provincial medical director Dr Simukai Zizhou applauded the gesture.

“This type of Public-Private Partnership has come in, yet it doesn’t escalate costs for our already struggling patients,” he said. “Equipment does come absolute, outdated and so time and again we face challenges to deliver basic primary health care services and this donation will alleviate such challenges.

“Funding from Treasury is not enough and sometimes it is just on paper and we don’t get it on time such that day to day running of hospitals becomes very difficult. It is such support like we are witnessing today that has kept us running.”

Dr Zizhou said the donation by the three institutions was particularly outstanding, as it addressed exactly the needs of the receiving institutions.

“I was approached by Mr Joseph Mufandaedza, who is a resident of this province on the exact needs of Marondera Provincial Hospital and Mt Saint Mary’s hospital and the institutions compiled their lists,” he said.

“When the donation came, it was exactly what we had listed.”
Dr Zizhou said the donated items were part of the most expensive sundries in medical care because they were not reusable. Coca-Cola Zimbabwe country manager Mrs Noma Halimana said the challenges facing the country required concerted efforts from all Zimbabweans.

“We have seen the need to invest in our communities, invest in our people and in the health of the country,” she said. “We recognise that these very institutions and communities that we support are also the source of human skills and future leaders in both public and private sectors.”

Asked what triggered his family to participate in the mobilisation of resources for local health institutions, Mr Mufandaedza said his family lost one of its siblings at a tender age of two years on their way to a health facility.

“Dexter’s condition could have been dealt with at the nearest health facility if it had been well equipped and stocked, but that was not so,” he said. “He died en route to a district hospital.

“We, therefore, believe there are so many other patients losing their lives either because the nearest institution has no drugs and equipment to assist them or the nearest facility is actually too far to be accessed.”

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