Mpilo Hospital children's unit in need of machines

THE Mpilo Central Hospital Paediatric unit is in need of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines (CPAP) to assist infants having breathing difficulties, a hospital official has said.

Speaking during the hand over of a donation by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe (ICSAZ), the hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Mr Leonard Mabandi, urged well-wishers to assist the children's hospital with CPAP machines to reduce infant mortality.

"I want to talk specifically about a small group of children who are born here and have breathing problems. Their mortality rate could be reduced if we buy special equipment used to help them breathe. They call these CPAP machines. These machines assist infants to breathe well," he said.

"They are part of the essential machines we need as a hospital. We urge well-wishers to consider them when they think of donating to Mpilo."

Mr Mabandi said some staff members have resorted to contributing money to buy certain things required by the children's hospital.

"I know there are times our 'paediatricians' here have used their money to buy certain equipment or needs and we are also grateful for that," said the CEO.

Mr Mabandi urged people to take a leaf from ICSAZ to help children as they are future leaders. He said the donation, which included cannulas, pampers, vaseline and fruits, will assist children in the hospital.

"This is a lesson to everyone. Long back we used to think donations come from whites but this is our country and we need to teach ourselves to give. They have chosen to assist the young ones who will carry on the light when we are all gone. To us, it's not a small donation because it will touch some people's lives. As a central hospital we have so many challenges as an institution that caters for half the nation," he said.

"Among our patients there are those who cannot afford to buy even these small things like pampers and food so this donation will go a long way in assisting a lot of those parents who can't afford to buy these things."

ICSAZ Bulawayo branch secretary, Mr Richard Ndebele, said the organisation chose the children's hospital to embrace children as future leaders.