Save Our Hospitals Initiative Aims To Aid Zimbabwe’s Ailing Healthcare System
By Jenny FriedlandSave Our Hospitals Initiative Aims To Aid Zimbabwe’s Ailing Healthcare System
By Jenny FriedlandCyclone Idai hit parts of southern Africa last week, leaving devastation in its wake. Ninety-eight people have been confirmed dead in Zimbabwe with dozens more missing. The storm only added pressure to an already struggling healthcare sector in the country. With insufficient supplies, doctors have taken to washing and reusing bandages in recent weeks, and many drugs are unavailable. These issues are widely understood to stem from poor governance and a failing economy. Doctor Azza Mashumba, head of the pediatric department at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Zimbabwe, made an emotional plea last week in a video that has since gone viral. “Babies are dying,” she said. “There’s no urgency. There’s no priority. And nobody is listening to us.” Hopewell Chin’ono is a Zimbabwean journalist seeking to shore up Zimbabwe’s hospitals. He recently started the Save Our Hospitals initiative, bringing together high-profile Zimbabwean doctors and other experts to devise ways to get medical consumables to hospitals. Chin’ono joins us to discuss the state of healthcare in Zimbabwe and how he hopes to improve care for his fellow citizens.