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EU to give Zimbabwe US$2.6million
27 Jan 2011 at 23:27hrs | Views
Zimbabwe will soon receive US$2.6million from the European Union in support of the local health delivery system, the EU has pledged.
In a statement the EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Aldo Dell Ariccia, said the the donation would allow for the purchase of medical gases and the supply of safe blood in local clinics and hospitals in face of increased maternal deaths in the country.
"The regular supply of safe blood and medical gases is very critical at this stage when the Ministry of Health statistics show that maternal deaths in Zimbabwe increased from 555/100 000 in 2005 to 725/100 000 in 2009."
"Medical gases and safe blood will be supplied directly to Hospitals by a private company, BOC, and Zimbabwe National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTSZ) respectively to ensure that pregnant women are attended to without delay," said Ambassador Dell Ariccia.
The Public Relations Manager for the NBTSZ Mr. Emmanuel Masvikeni said his organisation was finding it difficult to deal with the blood shortage in the country as people are reluctant to donate blood.
"We are worried by this development, because the highest number of people who nee and use blood are adults yet they are reluctant to donate. So we are going to have nationwide outreach campaign aimed at educating them so that they know what it means to donate blood," said Masvikeni.
A visit to one of the country's biggest maternal homes at Parirenyatwa Hospital revealed that expecting mothers welcomed the positive development.
"This is refreshing news for us expecting mothers facing a possible danger in giving birth, its quiet an awesome experience to be giving birth in an environment where one knows anything can happen during birth-giving," said Vaida Mutesi of Harare.
At one point at the height of political turmoil that characterised the Southern African country during the much disputed presidential elections in 2008 Zimbabwe's blood bank was reported to be empty, subjecting accident victims, pregnant women, and surgical operation patients to high risk of death .
The health sector however is on a recovery path after a decade-long economic and political crisis which was rescued by the formation of an all inclusive government between the country's main political rivals,Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union, Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the smaller faction of the MDC then led by Professor Aurthur Mutambara.
Zimbabwe's health delivery system has in the past decade also been marred by striking medical staff in protest of low salaries, brain drain in search of greener pastures and a rotting economy.
In a statement the EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Aldo Dell Ariccia, said the the donation would allow for the purchase of medical gases and the supply of safe blood in local clinics and hospitals in face of increased maternal deaths in the country.
"The regular supply of safe blood and medical gases is very critical at this stage when the Ministry of Health statistics show that maternal deaths in Zimbabwe increased from 555/100 000 in 2005 to 725/100 000 in 2009."
"Medical gases and safe blood will be supplied directly to Hospitals by a private company, BOC, and Zimbabwe National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTSZ) respectively to ensure that pregnant women are attended to without delay," said Ambassador Dell Ariccia.
The Public Relations Manager for the NBTSZ Mr. Emmanuel Masvikeni said his organisation was finding it difficult to deal with the blood shortage in the country as people are reluctant to donate blood.
"We are worried by this development, because the highest number of people who nee and use blood are adults yet they are reluctant to donate. So we are going to have nationwide outreach campaign aimed at educating them so that they know what it means to donate blood," said Masvikeni.
"This is refreshing news for us expecting mothers facing a possible danger in giving birth, its quiet an awesome experience to be giving birth in an environment where one knows anything can happen during birth-giving," said Vaida Mutesi of Harare.
At one point at the height of political turmoil that characterised the Southern African country during the much disputed presidential elections in 2008 Zimbabwe's blood bank was reported to be empty, subjecting accident victims, pregnant women, and surgical operation patients to high risk of death .
The health sector however is on a recovery path after a decade-long economic and political crisis which was rescued by the formation of an all inclusive government between the country's main political rivals,Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and President Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe African National Union, Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the smaller faction of the MDC then led by Professor Aurthur Mutambara.
Zimbabwe's health delivery system has in the past decade also been marred by striking medical staff in protest of low salaries, brain drain in search of greener pastures and a rotting economy.
Source - Byo24NEWS
