Supporting Chikombedzi Hospital

AFADU has provided donated materials to support the operations of the hospital through its biannual container shipment of medical supplies.

Over the years other international charities (e.g. Intenationaler Hilfsfonds) have also provided substantial support through donated medical equipment.

For nearly the past decade AFADU has provided funding to assist in the maintenance of two medical positions at Chikombedzi hospital.

The funding through donors such as the Sincerity Trust of Harmer’s Workplace Lawyers has provided additional remuneration for Doctors at Chikombedzi Mission Hospital to assist them to remain at this isolated rural hospital.

The current financial and political environment in Zimbabwe means additional funding support is only available through charitable donations such as the AFADU medical support program.

While the hospital is owned by the Zimbabwean Methodist Church they also are effected by the local economic environment and do not have funds to support the ongoing operations of the hospital.

As a result of AFADU and our donors’ funding, Chikombedzi Hospital managed to:

• Set up an HIV /AIDS clinic where several 100s of patients have managed to access highly effective anti-retroviral medication
• In 2011, Chikombedzi Hospital only reported 1 maternal death out of 1300 deliveries
• Maintained quality services despite unfavorable economic conditions in the country. In fact, the Hospital came out first in the Province after they were assessed for funding by a non-governmental organization called CORAID.
• Reduced HIV prevalence from about 18% in the pregnant women to 11%, which is a huge achievement.
• Reduced the number of patients transferred to Chiredzi District Hospital as a result of improved doctor services.
• Provision of health care services, HIV screening and treatment, immunisations and emergency care to the approximate 50 children living at the Lirhanzo Children’s Village.

Without the maintenance of an ongoing clinically qualified medical workforce the Chikombedzi hospital will lose its status as an antiretroviral dispensary thereby limiting the access of people in the community to vital HIV medications.

The hospital will be reduced to a rural primary health clinic status with the loss of all surgical and maternity services.

There is an ongoing need to educate the Community Health Workers to assist in the triaging of urgent cases, providing remote location frontline treatment and ongoing basic primary health services.

This is achieved through outreach and education services from the Chikombedzi hospital.

However, additional and ongoing nurse education resources are required for effective and quality primary health services.

The hospital and surrounding primary health care clinics have worked hard to further the goals and targets of the 2011 UN Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS of working towards:

• reducing sexual transmission of HIV by 50 per cent by 2015
• the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and substantially

reducing AIDS-related maternal deaths by 2015

These goals and targets will not be able to be met without a stable medical workforce. AFADU funds, through generous donors allows the Chikombedzi hospital to operate and serve the local community.