Catholic run hospital blocks distribution of condoms

THE Roman Catholic-run Zhombe Mission Hospital in Kwekwe rural and Kwekwe Polytechnic are allegedly blocking the distribution of condoms at the two institutions, setting themselves on a collision course with the National Aids Council (NAC).

The use of artificial contraceptives like condoms is against the doctrine of the Catholic Church which believes in the natural laws of birth control.

Mambewu Shumba, the NAC Midlands HIV and Aids Coordinator, said recent meetings on gender-based violence and reports from interest groups from Kwekwe and Zibagwe districts revealed that Zhombe Mission Hospital was not distributing condoms.

He said the meetings also showed that Kwekwe Polytechnic was also not promoting condom, fingering a Catholic nun who denounces the use of contraceptives.

Kwekwe Poly is a government institution which has no direct links with the Catholic Church.

Said Shumba: "We learnt at the meetings through progress reports that we held in Kwekwe district that there were institutions that were derailing the condom use promotion.

"At Kwekwe Technical College, we should have condoms in toilets and other places like the library where students can easily access them, if need be. Students are adults and they should have the freedom to access condoms from all corners. We understand the (senior administrator) is a Catholic nun and she is the one who discourages the distribution of condoms at the institution. She is bringing her church values at the institution". Shumba said NAC has tried to engage Kwekwe Polytechnic on the matter through the NAC district coordinator for Kwekwe but the meetings are still to bear fruit. He said NAC will soon re-engage the college at a gender-based violence meeting to be held shortly in Kwekwe.

The issue of Zhombe Mission Hospital's reluctance to promote condom use came out at a district meeting between health officials for Zibagwe-Kwekwe districts.

Shumba said HIV and Aids activists submitted progress reports at the meeting raising concern that people in Zhombe were failing to access condoms owing to the church's stance on contraceptives.

He said: "We learnt that people who visit the hospital were being told to buy the condoms at the local shops, outside the hospital. Surprisingly, other Catholic hospitals in Chirumanzu are distributing condoms. As NAC, however, we are guided by our policy on behaviour change and condom use. Our position is that if you don't use or promote the condom, then don't talk about it or criticise it. Talk, instead, about your strategies that you employ to combat HIV and Aids."

Efforts to get a comment from the named Kwekwe Polytechnic nun failed yesterday but Gweru Diocese spokesperson, Father Victor Musendeki, defended the Catholic Church's position. He said the religious organisation had set values and beliefs.

He said the values and beliefs were applied across the board at all the church institutions be it health, education or family.

"There's no offence when one decides not to support a programme or theory. The offence only comes when one destroys things like posters on contraceptives, or throws away the condoms. We adhere to government rules at all our institutions. We work with different ministries without problems at our hospitals, schools or colleges," said Father Musendeki.

He said Kwekwe Polytechnic was a public place that was free to operate outside Catholic values. Father Musendeki said the nun can only be considered to have erred if she threw away condoms.

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI said the use of condoms is acceptable in exceptional circumstances.

He said condoms could reduce the risk of HIV infection, such as for a male prostitute, but insisted a more humane attitude to sexuality, and not condom use, was the proper way to combat HIV infection.

The Pope said condoms were "not a moral solution, but in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality."

He gave the example of the use of condoms by male prostitutes as "a first step towards moralisation", even though condoms are "not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection".

He insisted that the "sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalisation of sexuality" where sexuality is no longer an expression of love, "but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves".