TATENDA CHIKARA IN MASVINGO
Villagers in Mazhaugwe, Chivi district, in Masvingo Province are constructing a community clinic to reduce the distance they travel to access healthcare services, Business Times can report.
Villagers are travelling about 21 kilometres to Chibi Mission for health care services.
“What motivated us to volunteer building this clinic is the fact that as villagers we are travelling long distances of about 21kms to Chivi district hospital which is actually a serious challenge,” one villager, who preferred not to be named, told Business Times.
Another villager who also preferred anonymity told Business Times that pregnant women were the most vulnerable as they ended up giving birth while waiting for transport to hospitals.
“In some cases we had many expecting women who lost their lives or their babies while giving birth before they got transport to referral hospitals. So, this clinic will benefit the community a lot.”
Although the construction of this clinic seems to be moving on well, the chairman for Mazhaugwe clinic, Wilfred Mututuvari, said villagers were facing challenges to raise the funds required.
“When we started this clinic, each villager was made to pay ZW$25 which enabled us to start this project. We are being helped by some other businesspeople like Huruyadzo, Tapiwa Murambi and the Member of Parliament, Ephraim Gwanongodza.
They assist us with things like food and fuel.
“Right now (remaining) bags of cement will no longer sustain us, so we wish even the government to give us a helping hand,” Mututuvari told Business Times.
The councillor for Ward 12 Tedfed Tizai said: “Right now we are almost on ring beam level but as it stands our cement will no longer sustain. We are also running out of food to feed these volunteers. We now wait for well-wishers to assist us.”
He said when complete, the Mazhaugwe clinic will benefit all the 15 villages in ward 12.
