The ManicaPost
Anesu Kurebwaseka Post Reporter
A TOTAL of 48 trainees graduated as State certified midwives and primary care nurses at Murambinda Mission Hospital in Buhera last Friday.
In a speech read on his behalf by Parirenyatwa Hospital principal tutor, Mrs Racheal Kanyemba, Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Dr Cynthia Chasokela, said midwives should acquire new knowledge and skills in order to provide maternity care to women, their neonates and families at all levels of health care. She said this would impact on the development of the nation.
“Midwifery care and community nursing services are now at the pinnacle of the achievement of sustainable development goals, while we are faced with the challenges of meeting the aspirations and targets of the SDGs in particular SDG 3 on health, far too many women and neonates and children continue to die giving birth and prematurely respectively. “As nurses, midwives and the health sector, we, therefore, must embrace the national economic blueprint — Zim-Asset, and ensure the delivery to healthy nationals, support them grow, school and be active and productive members of the community.”
She added: “Health professionals should implement a revitalised Primary Health Care and Health systems to strengthen concepts which put women, their children, families and community as the centre piece of service delivery.”
Dr Chasokela said it was high time to have a complete paradigm shift from hospital-based care to a community orientation.
“Graduates are required to be innovative and creative so as to come up with great ideas of assuring and rendering comprehensive obstetric and midwifery services and to impact on socio-economic development of the citizen and our country,” she said. Speaking at the same occasion, Buhera District Medical Officer, Dr Shelton Kwiri, implored the graduates to use the acquired skills to uphold their promise of saving lives, while giving to another.
“You are the missionaries of improving the community. We are our own donors and we should not wait for someone else to come and assist us. We should be the ambassadors of promoting health child care,” he said.
He applauded the graduates for striving hard despite the challenges they faced, be it financial or lack of resources to use.
