News / Regional
Tshinga Dube donates 30 tonnes of food to Ingutsheni
16 Aug 2016 at 07:08hrs | Views
MAKOKOBA MP Retired Colonel Tshinga Dube has donated 30 tonnes of maize and game meat to Ingutsheni Central Hospital following reports that the health institution was struggling to feed patients and had run out of sedative drugs.
The shortage of the drugs, which are used in suppressing violent behaviour in psychiatric patients, is allegedly exposing members of staff to violent patients.
Rtd Col Dube, who is also the Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, Collaborators and Ex-Detainees, said he was engaging the Ministry of Health and Child Care to see how the hospital can be assisted in overcoming its challenges.
"The hospital is facing many challenges that are making it difficult to effectively provide its services. I sourced 30 tonnes of maize and buffalo meat to rescue the hospital. I handed over the maize and the meat last week and I was told that patients were starving and malnourished due to lack of protein," said Rtd Col Dube.
He said he was now working closely with the Health Ministry to help Ingutsheni Central Hospital as well as Mpilo Central Hospital, which was also facing serious challenges in the provision of drugs and blood.
"I have engaged Dr [David] Parirenyatwa, the Health and Child Care Minister to see how we can source funds to help our health institutions.
"Mpilo Hospital wrote to me informing me about the challenges they are facing in providing health care to its patients. I was touched," said Rtd Col Dube.
He said as an MP, it was his duty to make sure that the livelihoods of the people in his constituency and the rest of Bulawayo are improved.
"We have to help the people and there has to be a plan to make life easier despite the difficult circumstances. I have also donated text books to all primary and secondary schools in Makokoba constituency to improve the education standards at the schools," he said.
Rtd Col Dube appealed to well-wishers to come forward to help the institution.
Ingutsheni Central Hospital does not charge patients for its services and the institution depends entirely on the Government's budgetary allocation for its recurrent expenditure and capital projects.
Hospital authorities have on several occasions appealed for donations from well-wishers to cater for the needs of patients at the institution.
Dr Parirenyatwa recently expressed concern over acute food and medicine shortages at the hospital.
He said the Government was struggling to provide for the increasing number of patients at the institution.
The shortage of the drugs, which are used in suppressing violent behaviour in psychiatric patients, is allegedly exposing members of staff to violent patients.
Rtd Col Dube, who is also the Minister of Welfare Services for War Veterans, Collaborators and Ex-Detainees, said he was engaging the Ministry of Health and Child Care to see how the hospital can be assisted in overcoming its challenges.
"The hospital is facing many challenges that are making it difficult to effectively provide its services. I sourced 30 tonnes of maize and buffalo meat to rescue the hospital. I handed over the maize and the meat last week and I was told that patients were starving and malnourished due to lack of protein," said Rtd Col Dube.
He said he was now working closely with the Health Ministry to help Ingutsheni Central Hospital as well as Mpilo Central Hospital, which was also facing serious challenges in the provision of drugs and blood.
"I have engaged Dr [David] Parirenyatwa, the Health and Child Care Minister to see how we can source funds to help our health institutions.
"Mpilo Hospital wrote to me informing me about the challenges they are facing in providing health care to its patients. I was touched," said Rtd Col Dube.
He said as an MP, it was his duty to make sure that the livelihoods of the people in his constituency and the rest of Bulawayo are improved.
"We have to help the people and there has to be a plan to make life easier despite the difficult circumstances. I have also donated text books to all primary and secondary schools in Makokoba constituency to improve the education standards at the schools," he said.
Rtd Col Dube appealed to well-wishers to come forward to help the institution.
Ingutsheni Central Hospital does not charge patients for its services and the institution depends entirely on the Government's budgetary allocation for its recurrent expenditure and capital projects.
Hospital authorities have on several occasions appealed for donations from well-wishers to cater for the needs of patients at the institution.
Dr Parirenyatwa recently expressed concern over acute food and medicine shortages at the hospital.
He said the Government was struggling to provide for the increasing number of patients at the institution.
Source - chronicle
