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Lawrence Chitumba, Correspondent
A CANADIAN non-governmental organisation, Health Partners International, last week donated medicines and medical supplies worth more than US$50 000 to Howard Mission Hospital.

The consignment included diabetic, epileptic and hypertension medicines, analgesics and anti-depressants, hospital beds and mattresses, bedside cabinets and an oxygen concentrator to help with those with respiratory complications.

Speaking during the handover of the consignment to Howard Mission Hospital staff last week, Salvation Army territorial social services and medical secretary Lieutenant Colonel Henry Chitanda, said the drugs would go a long way in making sure that the community of Chiweshe and surrounding areas access medication when they visit the institution as it was painful to see patients returning home without drugs.

“We are very grateful on behalf of the church leadership in Zimbabwe and the people of this country for receiving this donation of medicines and medical supplies from Health Partners International which is based in Canada,” he said.

“It came at a time when things had become so bad and it was painful to see patients returning home without drugs. We are grateful to Government for giving the donation a rebate and we applaud its efforts to priorities the scarce foreign currency to source drugs.”

He said Howard Mission Hospital has a catchment population of 24 000 and acts as a referral hospital for about 10 clinics in Chiweshe area, while also serving other people from other areas and has a bed capacity of 144 patients.