The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Post Correspondent
HUNDREDS of Mutasa villagers, mostly the elderly, benefited from a free diabetes mobile clinic outreach organised by the Ministry of Health and Child Care at Hauna Growth Point last week on Saturday.
The outreach which was held to commemorate World Diabetes Day saw patients receiving sugar diabetes and blood pressure tests, counselling and many other clinical services.
World Diabetes Day was celebrated on November 14.
In an interview, Mutasa District Medical Officer, Dr Cephas Fonte said the move was aimed at improving health delivery services in rural areas, while raising awareness of diabetes as a global public health.
He said Government was working tirelessly to cater for diabetes patients, while making sure that adequate medicines were readily available for them.
“NatPharm hasn’t failed us. We received our diabetes drugs on time, thereby ensuring improved health delivery services to all our patients.
“In Mutasa District alone, a total of 99 patients were diagnosed with diabetes since the beginning of the year which is a very high number.
“Non-communicable diseases are affecting the economy, and because of that, Government is doing everything to fight them,” he said.
Dr Fonte said the Ministry of Health and Child Care worked in partnership with Zimbabwe Diabetic Association (ZDA) and Serene Pharmacies to roll out the outreach programme.
He said it being a lifestyle disease, diabetic patients were encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle as well as eating healthy.
“From various stresses, and not caring about what one eats, it all comes down to an unhealthy lifestyle.
“It is sad to note that more people in rural areas were diagnosed with diabetes in the first three quarters of this year due to unhealthy lifestyles when previously we knew that rural people lead healthy lifestyles compared to their urban counterparts,” he said.
ZDA Manicaland board chairperson, Bishop Jeremiah Matenhese said the association was complimenting Government’s efforts in fighting non-communicable diseases.
He said diabetes concerns every family, and that it was the leading cause of blindness, amputation, heart disease, kidney failure and early deaths.
“Simple action can reduce all these risks, and people should know that,” said Bishop Matenhese.
This year’s World Diabetes Day ran under the theme: ‘Access to Diabetes Care’.
Serene Pharmacies’ pharmaceutical manager, Ms Ruvimbo Musarira said the initiative was as a result of their love for the community.
“Before, we would hold these commemorations on a small-scale, but we decided to partner with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Zimbabwe Diabetes Association to have something big this year.
‘‘We hope this will be an annual thing because more than 400 people received free service,” she said.
Beneficiaries hailed the initiative, with Ms Ratidzo Samanga saying if conducted regularly, it would improve people’s health.
“I am really glad that this event was commemorated here in Mutasa. A lot of us elderly people managed to have our diabetes and BP checked. That was quite a relief. We hope they will continue offering these free services regularly,” she said.
