A GROUP of professionals raised up in Bikita district have pooled their financial resources together and secured medical supplies to provide free medical services to less privileged members of the community.
By Garikai Mafirakureva
The group, known as Bikita Forum, and which started off as a WhatsApp group formed by Kudakwashe Marecha in 2014, has now spread its tentacles throughout the district, with a team of medical professionals led by Mandima Mandima providing free medical care to villagers.
The group has roped in former St Mary’s legislator Job Sikhala, former Bikita West MP Heya Shoko, former Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) chief executive officer (CEO) Bigger Mpamhadzi, current Bikita RDC CEO Peter Chibi, businessman Sydney Mutendi, aspiring MP Timothy Ndongwe and other stakeholders interested in the development of Bikita.
According to the forum’s programme co-ordinators Vincent Mpamhadzi and Lucy Chivasa, the initiative has harnessed experts from different professional fields.
“We want to remove that dependence syndrome from politicians and donors that has been engraved in our people’s minds since independence. We have the expertise and we can pool our resources together to help our fellow people. So why can’t we do it on our own?” Chivasa said.
Mpamhadzi chipped in, saying: “The doctors managed to attend to over 400 people with non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and also HIV-related diseases and gave them relevant drugs that were sourced by Bikita Forum.
“Early December, we are going to have another programme in Bikita East, and then lastly Bikita West. We are, however, planning it to be a weekly thing, because we want to build a bridge on our collapsing health delivery system.”
