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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
Government is synergising health related outreach teams to address different ailments at any one given time, Provincial Medical Director for Mashonaland East Dr Paul Matsvimbo has said.

Following the outbreak of the global pandemic – Covid-19 – most of the attention from health workers was directed at quelling the effects of the virus on the citizenry.

Government has sent outreach teams for vaccination against Covid-19 and Zimbabwe has won plaudits from the international community for its vaccine coverage with more than three million so far vaccinated although others are yet to receive their second jabs.

Dr Matsvimbo said catering for a number of ailments when their outreach teams go to communities will help people access different clinical services.

“We saw collaboration even among our partners. Where they go into communities as teams.”

“There was a challenge in sexual reproductive issues because people were so much worried about Covid-19.

“People will view some of these services as not life threatening. But a general encouragement to health workers to continue understanding that it is also a basic right for women to access these services,” said Dr Matsvimbo.

“We are also trying to minimize the increase in teenage pregnancies. Our encouragement to health workers was to engage the community and minimise any judgmental attitude.

“I think it helped us change some perceptions and attitudes,” said Dr Matsvimbo.

District Medical Officer for Marondera Dr Delight Madoro said there was a slight decrease of people seeking sexual reproductive health care during the Covid-19 period.

He said there was a 10 percent increase in people who came this year seeking antenatal care compared to the same period last year from January to June.

“In terms of family the total number of patients that came for family planning services, we had 821 in 2020 from January to June and there has been a very significant increase this year, up to June we had 2498 cases which is almost times three the total number of patients which we saw the same period last year.”

He said for sexual abuse there has been a slight decrease this year.

Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council has continued offering sexual reproductive health services to the population with the Marondera Family Planning Clinic mainly focusing on such issues.

Sister Sarah Dabwa service delivery coordinator for Mashonaland East said they are also attending to minor ailments as well as being readily available for the sexual active population.