Gokwe: Zhomba Clinic a Health Center or a Military Base? 

Gokwe Kabuyuni Constituency’s Zhomba Clinic has left residents confused if the health facility is still serving lives or rather making lives difficult, My Gokwe Media can report.

The clinic which serves communities such as Chitekete, Chiutsi, Zhomba, Sengwa Mine, Mareka and some parts of Kamakuyu and Rusiye has drastically changed the way it used to operate.

Residents are lamenting that the old facility has turned into a military base manned by soldiers at war rather than nurses as ill treatment of patience and abuse are the order of the day.

Patience are complaing that the nurses at the institution are abusing patient privacy as they can shout to patience about their reason of visit.

“Nurse anogona kungoshevedzera watova panze kuti ur were hwako hwava sei asi unenge wabuda maari (A nurse can shout how one’s health problem is going on in the presence of everyone yet you were together in the consultation room)” said a fuming patient.

Residents also complain that rough and ill treatment is the order of the day at the institution.

One resident of Siyamvula village expressed disappointment to the treatment he received from the Sister in Charge, Moyo when his wife was at a critical moment.

“Ndakauya pamba paMoyo kuma 11 husiku mudzimai wangu oda kupona akaramba kana kundibatsira. Akandiudza kuti hatinei nevanobva kumba tavata. Ndakazonotsvaka kombi husiku ihoho kuti tiende kuGokwe General Hospital kwatakanobatsirwa. (When I visited Moyo’s home at night she told me that she was not concerned about outpatients and said she was already asleep and I had to look for a Kombi that same night to travel to Gokwe Hospital where my wife was then attended to).”

Not as if that is enough, the Sister in Charge is pointed to be the chief architect of corruption at the clinic.

She is said to be keeping patience for the whole day without any worry about it in a bid to push them to pay some bribe so that they can be attended to earlier.

“Moyo kana usina mari haana basa newe. Vanhu vanoswera vakagara pavheranda paya achida kuti vabude mari asi ukatarisa Vanhu vacho vanenge vasingasviki kana 10. (Moyo is obsessed with money, if you don’t have bribe you will not be attended to. Less than 10 people spend the whole day waiting for attention as she hold them at ransom so that they pay a bribe)“, said a worried resident.

Another man who also identified himself as Phiri narrated a painful story to My Gokwe Media.

“Nana Moyo mazuvano kumukira uchiti uite wekutanga kupedza nguva. Ini ndasvika paya nemukadzi wangu kuma 7, vakasara vovhura ndave pagedhe reClinic asi ndikakuudzai kuti vanhu vangani vakauya sure kwangu vakabatsirwa chimbi-chimbi munoramba. Vese vakauya sure kwangu vakaitirwa vese vakaenda ini nekushaya $2 yacho yaanoda dzakachaya 1 ndiripo. (The system no longer recognize first come first serve principle as those who pay bribes are served even if they arrive 2 hours after you.)“

The growing concerns of residents calls for some visiting by authorities as the clinic is no longer a health facility but rather a death trap to the community.

The Sister in Charge of the clinic was pointed out in negligence issues as she is alleged to have neglected a woman who had given birth to twins.

It is reported that the relatives of the woman had to call another nurse, Sekuru Madondo who was not on duty who unfortunately arrived after one baby had already died.

Residents also complain that Moyo, is ruthless to the extent of keeping patience at the clinic for the whole day only to tell them around 3 pm that she will attend not to more than 5 people.

Another sad note is that the clinic officials let patience spend the whole day on queue and when they are attended to they are told that there is no medicine.

“Ndakasvika ndichirwadziwa neruoko ndarumwa nechinhu chandisina kuona vakanditi gara tokubatsira. Pandakasvika pana nurse kuti ndibatsirwe kwakunzi hatina chatingakupei pano endai henyu apa ndaswera zuva rese mumutsetse . (I spent the whole day groaning in pain after they promised to assist me, only to be told late that they had no medicine to easy my pain.)“

The crisis at Zhomba Clinic calls for an immediate intervention by the responsible authorities.