Physiotherapy equipment donated to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital by Delta Beverages has been attracting private health facilities, referring patients to the Hospital’s Rehabilitation Unit.
By Kuda Pembere
This was said during a tour at the unit on Monday since the donation in February this year.
Delta Beverages Corporate Affairs General Manager Ms Patricia Murambinda said the equipment they donated in February was worth US$50 000.
“As Delta we are a good corporate citizen and we are heavily involved in the communities where we operate. Some people will wonder why we involved ourselves in the health department or the health pillar, we believe in the wellbeing SDG.
“And out of that wellbeing SDG, we manufacture alcoholic beverages and we encourage smart drinking of those products, responsible consumption and responsible marketing of those products.
“And hence our interest in the wellbeing of our communities where we work in. This is why we chose Sally Mugabe Hospital to make this donation which was an equivalent of US$50 000 and we are very excited today to see the equipment in use because it is one thing to make a donation and the beneficiaries do not benefit from it,” she said.
Ms Murambinda said she was happy to learn the equipped physiotherapy department was attracting even patients from the private sector.
“And I really want to thank Dr Christopher Pasi, the management and team of Sally Mugabe Hospital for making sure they are using this equipment wisely. I got very excited hearing this equipment has generated a lot of interest from those who want to use it. And even from private hospitals, they are actually referring patients here. This is what we want to make sure our communities in Zimbabwe, are taken care of,” she said.
The Hospital’s chief medical officer Dr Christopher Pasi said physiotherapy and occupational therapy for the rehabilitation of patients is usually neglected yet it plays a pivotal role in the total wellbeing of a patient.
“I am really delighted to have invited our partners from Delta to see the investment they made in the healthcare of Zimbabweans. Rehabilitation is one of the aspects of medical care that unfortunately is an afterthought in many instances. Even if you ask a lot of people what rehabilitation is about, they are unlikely able to elucidate as much as they can with other health aspects.
” Delta actually out of its wisdom noted that this is an area that is ignored in terms of patient care. But it can make people better in terms of sometimes the need of surgery, without the need of very expensive treatment to put them to full functionality be it physical, auditory and speech. So rehab is a very important aspect in medicine,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sally Mugabe Hospital head of physiotherapy Ms Kudzanayi Gore appealled to corporates to assist people with mental health disorders being assisted at the health institution.
“I would like to invite Delta and other well-wishers to continue to support us in any way they can. I will mention one of our desires. One of our desires is to see our psychiatric unit, the occupational therapy department being equipped and fully functioning,” she said.
She also noted that depression and substance abuse were ranking high at the Hospital admission-wise.
“And this comes in light of the fact that we are seeing a lot of patients with mental health challenges, with substance abuse and depression at the top,” she said. “There are some activities that we want to be able to conduct to rehabilitate the psychiatric patients such as the wood workshops, gardening activities, arts and crafts, sewing and knitting, and other vocational training activities that will allow our patients to be fully habilitated and acquire the necessary skills and their attitudes to positively impact or contribute to their societies.”
