I wrote this letter as an expression of our attempt to influence for change and reformation in the medical sphere. Unfortunately, it is in the midst of crisis.
Dear friends,
More than twenty years ago I went to a bus stop and was confronted with a starving Mozambican refugee baby nursing on the dried breast of its equally starving mother, I was shocked to think that this could happen to a person, and thanked God that I was serving Him in Zimbabwe where such things never happen. I was so moved by that scene, that I started our relief and development program which fed and clothed refugees for the next 14 years. Subsequently to the crisis, we developed irrigation schemes in the country, assisted clinics, cared for up to 2000 orphans and built and manned our own Celebration orphanage.
Today however I was again confronted with a sight that made my blood chill and my hair stand on end as I accompanied our medical team to the Budiriro Clinic and Beatrice Road Hospital, in two of Harare's suburbs. I saw the conditions on the ground where our brave, underpaid and overworked doctors and nurses are working against overwhelming odds, to try to control an epidemic of cholera that now has put the whole nation of Zimbabwe at risk.
I cannot adequately describe the scene which is forever etched in my memory. When we arrived at Beatrice Road Hospital there were literally hundreds of patients in a screening area outdoors under a tree, exposed to rainy season torrential rain. Many seated in the waiting area were lethargic, and most had soiled their clothes with diarrhea and vomit. All hoped to be cared for and treated for the severe dehydration symptoms they were facing. There were only a few nurses and one doctor for the whole hospital, as the doctors had gone on strike, and the nurses were going on strike as we arrived. The conditions were just too hard and the situation too bleak for the medical personnel to continue. When we visited the wards there were a number of patients in the cots or on the floors, all the floors were covered in diarrhea and vomit, while a team sprayed large quantities of disinfectant from spray packs and others tried to mop things up with rag mops. When I was taken to the children's ward though, is when it hit me the hardest. We were informed that most of these deaths occurred among children often because they dehydrate so rapidly that a vein for rehydration fluids could not be found, or because all of the needles to administer the fluids were for adults, and were too large for children's veins.
As we walked through the hospital many of the patients still tried to smile and comfort those of us visiting, as if to say they were sorry for making us uncomfortable because they are so sick. Our tour ended with a visit to the Mortuary; where there is room for 18 bodies, but was full with more than 20 bodies stacked in body bags, including 2 children that had just been quickly thrown onto the floor.
The morale of the staff was palpably low and the atmosphere of discouragement and death was tangible.When we talked with nurses we learned that they were discouraged not only at the long hours that they had to work combined with the extreme lack of resources and staff. This situation has been worsened by 500 million percent inflation rate and the daily withdrawal limit of Z$500 000.00(less than a US cent). Frequently the ATM's are out of order and medical personnel's late hours of work make bank access for cash withdrawal impossible. Currently it is not possible to utilize Zimbabwean credit cards, checks or another local payment system called "RTGS". The entire nation therefore now operates on cash payments, either in Zimbabwe dollars or foreign currency. Since prices are now almost completely being quoted in US dollars, payment in Zimbabwe dollars alone makes life impossible for these committed health workers.
We have mobilized our church, health care workers and friends from around the world to begin to raise funding that will give a viable renumeration to those professionals who still value their calling, that we can recruit and call back to man the stations, with better supplies and basic compensation.
Secondly, we have mobilized additional teams of doctors and nurses to complement the good work being done by Harare City Health staff. These teams will be deployed to current and any future treatment camps in Harare - obviously, similar support is required in the rest of the country.
Thirdly, we have established a command center based in Harare to coordinate and manage this massive mobilization. We have put in a place a team of responsible and professional team players to help execute this massive task, and be accountable for the full disbursement of all aid received in whatever form.
This is reformation at work - albeit only responding to the crisis at this time. I believe it will lead to the establishment of a world class health and wellness center and a reformed medical delivery system.
