Zim: Temple turned to maternity ward

  1. Posted on Monday 29 June 2009 - 15:42
    ronny zikhali
    Ronny Zikhali, AfricaNews reporter in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Photo: ROHR Zimbabwe
    The delay in the opening to the public of Zivuku Clinic in Chivi district of Zimbabwe has resulted in the communities resorting to a church temple as a maternity ward, where pregnant mothers give birth with the help of prophets from the Johnne Masowe sect. There are fears they have no health expertise.
    Zimbabwe_Photo: ROHR Zimbabwe
    According to the villagers the clinic that was built some five years ago had now turned into a white elephant. AfricaNews reporter said the health conditions under which they operate can also be a cause for serious concern since the prophets do not have the required protective clothing such as gloves.

    Pregnant women from the surrounding villages such as Tagwirei, Musiiwa and Machanja communities are however thankful that they no longer have to travel to the distant Ngundu and Razi clinics ever since the church allowed the use of its temple as a labour room.

    “We really appreciate what ‘Madzibaba’ are doing in the communities. My wife gave birth to a bouncing baby girl two weeks ago at the temple with the help of the church prophets. I had no money to take my wife to the distant Ngundu or Razi Clinics. That they are not professionals does not matter, the bottom line is that they are helping our communities for almost free of charge.

    “You just pay a token of appreciation and they are even better than what most of the nurses at these clinics do. Our women always complain of having been beaten by some of the professional nurses in labour but these guys don’t beat anyone,” said an elated villager who identified himself as Muperi.

    Acting Provincial Medical Director for Masvingo Dr Amadeus Shamu was unable to tell why the clinic has not been functioning for over five years. “I am just getting in the office and I am not aware of such developments. Perhaps if the Provincial Medical Director Dr Mudyiradima was there he could have given you the information. I will need time to get the details as of why the clinic has not been functional,” he said.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive