NYANGA – Anglican Church-owned Bonda Mission Hospital is in financial and medicinal dire straits after losing all its donors following the takeover by excommunicated Bishop Nolbert Kunonga last year.
Report by Blessed Mhlanga/Moses Matenga Doctors and nurses are reportedly leaving the hospital en masse as the institution struggles to fund operations and buy medicines.
Sources at Bonda Mission, which serves a population of over 4 000 people, told NewsDay on the sidelines of a United Nations media tour at the hospital on Thursday, that the centre was now relying on user fees and meagre government funds which could not sustain it.
“We don’t even have gloves to use so patients are forced to buy their own when coming in for treatment . . . the only doctor at the hospital joined us in May, coming from Parirenyatwa where she had just completed her housemanship,” said the source.
Acting medical superintendent Tandiwe Mashaya, who was the only doctor on duty during the visit, declined to comment preferring to refer all questions to the church leadership. Revelations that the hospital faces an uncertain future come hardly a week after the Kunonga-led church chased away congregants in Chivhu who had gathered for a service, for allegedly siding with his rival, Bishop Chad Gandiya.
Sources said job security at the hospital was not guaranteed as Kunonga was reportedly elbowing out anyone suspected of being a Gandiya sympathiser.
“Doctors just leave and staff here are not certain over the future because they can be fired . . . Donors who used to support this hospital some of whom stayed here, all packed their bags and left as the rift in the church widened, leaving the once popular and efficiently run institution limping.”
Kunonga had no kind words for NewsDay when called for comment, accusing the newspaper of trying to tarnish his image.
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“I have had enough of you, your newspaper is always after making bad publicity for me and the church and I am also not the right person to ask about that,” he said without revealing who could comment on his behalf.
