Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
AT least 500 Odzi villagers last week benefited from a Ministry of Defence Forces and War Veterans Affairs co-funded programme of a free mobile pharmacy that is going around the province providing free medication to patients.
The mobile pharmacy programme follows the realisation that despite having health centres near most communities, lack of medication in rural health centres was forcing villagers to travel to urban settlements to buy drugs.
Though funded by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the programme is being implemented by Union for Development of Apostolic and Zionist Churches (UDACIZA), a local religious non-profit making organisation in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
Speaking during the outreach programme in Chiwere Village, Odzi last week on Friday, UDACIZA Manicaland provincial vice-chairman, Reverend Prosper Sithole said the free mobile pharmacy was aimed at complimenting Government’s efforts to ensure quality health services to everyone.
“We are complimenting Government’s development efforts, and ensuring that our elderly, and ailing members of the community have easy access to medicines.
“We realised that there is lack of drugs in most rural health centres. Most people are referred to pharmacies in cities and towns, but they do not have the financial resources to travel and acquire them. We decided to approach ZDF, and fellow Christians across the country for assistance. We are glad that we have assisted a lot of people in rural Manicaland with medication,” he said.
The majority of the beneficiaries are those above 50 years of age whose ailments included asthma, diabetic, and hypertension among others.
Reverend Sithole also said the medication was only given to patients with prescriptions.
Ms Padmore Sisimayi (65) of Osborne T2 Village in Odzi who suffers from hypertension and diabetes, said for her to get all her prescribed medication, she has to travel to Mutare, and part with at least US$100.
She said she could not afford to fork out US$100, let alone pay the US$4 bus fare to Mutare.
“I was referred to Mutare to buy my medication. I do not have the money because I do not have any children, and I also take care of my elderly mother. I had to endure the pain.
“We hope that ZDF, and its partners will continue assisting us with the medication,” she said.
Ms Sisimayi’s mother, Ms Mary Mukambachaza (85) who also suffers from hypertension thanked UDACIZA for coming to her aid.
“I hope they will continue coming. It had been long since I last had medicine, and because of lack of medicine, my legs are always painful. The medicine I received today will last for a month, and they have promised to come back next month with more supplies. It is refreshing to note that there are some organisation out there that cares for us the elderly,” she said.