THE Christian Youth Volunteers Association Trust (CyVaT) has donated three ambulances and various medical equipment to three health centres in remote parts of Matabeleland region.
BY SILAS NKALA
CyVaT director Meck Sibanda yesterday handed over two ambulances to Matabeleland North provincial medical director, Nyasha Masuka, at a ceremony held at Mhlahlandlela government complex in Bulawayo.
The ambulances, stretcher beds and wheelchairs would be used at Binga Rural District Council clinics and St Lukes Hospital in Lupane.
Another ambulance and other items were handed over to Maphisa Hospital in Matabeleland South. Sibanda said CyVaT received the goods from its Danish partner.
“When I visited Denmark I was shown a lot of things which the donors would want to give away, but the problem is on transportation and their clearance to bring them,” he said.
Masuka said the donation had come at the appropriate time when the region’s health institutions were facing acute transport problems due to underfunding by Treasury.
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“Most of the patients complain about the health services and failure or delays in getting ambulances. We have funding challenges as a province. Imagine we have not received a single cent from government since January this year,” he said.
“We have been using donor funding all along and this donation will go a long way in alleviating some of the problems we face.”
Masuka urged health officials to guard against abuse of the donated equipment.
“We do not want to see the ambulances being used to carry beer or cabbages to the market or operating as kombis. They must be used for the purposes they are meant for. They must be serviced and do not use them when they are faulty. We urge you to report when the ambulances are being used as Kombis.”
Binga council administrator, Dick Mudenda, also said the donation was a timely shot in the arm for local clinics, which relied on one ambulance from Binga District Hospital.
