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Bulawayo Bureau
MPILO Central Hospital has received a donation of medical supplies worth US$45 000 from Pendulum Pharmaceuticals to boost health care service delivery in the wake of a second wave of Covid-19.

The biggest ever donation to be made by a single company in years will go a long way in saving lives at the public institution which mainly serves Bulawayo, Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces that make up the country’s southern region. Like other public health institutions, the hospital has struggled to keep up with the growing disease burden coupled with economic challenges, which have seen the patients fail to access some essential services.

Pendulum Pharmaceuticals on Wednesday donated guedel airways, resuscitators, bed sheets and vaginal speculums. These will be used in vaginal and cervical screening, emergency procedures which infant and adult resuscitation.

Mpilo acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said the “biggest donation” will save the institution thousands of dollars which will be used to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) that is in short supply. According to Prof Ngwenya, the second wave of Covid-19 is likely to leave the hospital in need of many resources, hence the relevance of the donation.

“There are very few people who will match your generosity, this is a first of its kind and we have not seen a company donate this magnitude of medical supplies which will be handy during the second wave of Covid which is upon us,” said Prof Ngwenya.

“It is quite a massive donation and quantities include the airways used for anastatic operations to help patients breathe so all these are lifesaving. We also received lots of manual respirators for babies and adults used in emergency situations when medical personnel are trying to resuscitate patients.”

Prof Ngwenya said the consignment will help Mpilo Central Hospital conduct cervical screening in women for early detection and treatment of cervical cancer which remains one of the killer diseases in Zimbabwean women.

“We also received a large amount of surgical bed sheets which we will use in fighting Covid-19 infections,” he said. “We also got vaginal speculums used for cervical screening so this timely and massive donation is a range of lifesaving anastatic, emergency room treatments, surgical bed sheets and infection control supplies.”

Prof Ngwenya called on other private companies to emulate Pendulum to ensure the public hospital has a capacity to continue offering healthcare despite challenges that include Covid-19.

“We have already managed to survive through regular supplies we get from NatPharm but this donation from pendulum is a big boost even on our finances,” he said. “This donation will allow us to divert some money to buy some of the things in short supply like the N95 masks to fight covid-19.”

Prof Ngwenya bemoaned the rise of Covid-19 cases and deaths and warned members of the public to continue practicing hygiene and social distance to survive the storm likely to result from the second wave.

Pendulum Pharmaceuticals regional representative Ms Precious Sibanda said the company made the donation to Mpilo to mark its entrance into Bulawayo after it opened a drug wholesale in the city.

She said Mpilo was a one of the biggest health care players in the southern region which deserved all the help to ensure members of the public accessed quality services.