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EDITORIALS: D Ncayiyana, L London, D Sanders, A Kalebi, and J Kasolo Zimbabwe’s humanitarian crisis BMJ 2008; 337: a1286 [Full text]

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What about the picture?

Anne Savage   (22 August 2008)

What about the picture? 22 August 2008
Anne Savage, Retired NW3 5RA Send response to journal: Re: What about the picture?	I read of the 'humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe' and then I look at the news on TV and see victims of assault being treated in a clean, modern hospital. Their bandages are spotless the Plaster of Paris of good quality and well applied. On one occasion we were told that Zanu PF had broken both legs of a toddler but the downward droop of the feet indicated bilateral talipes was more likely reason for the POP. The Tale of Two Cities paints a picture I well recognise, though Dr Wellesley writes from the University Teaching Hospital, probably the best in the country (BMJ 2008;337:a1285). When I worked in a hospital in the Eastern Region of Zambia we used toilet paper for wound dressings, the POP was old and crumbled almost at a touch, needles were resharpened and blood was squeezed through crystalline fluid giving sets as we had no blood giving ones. The trouble is that these on-going humanitarian crises do not attract any attention from the media and so patients must continue to suffer. I fear the BBC , though not the World Service, has lost any pretentions to impartiality ,never bothering to get verification for many of its stories, not only from Zimbabwe and I am not surprised its reporters have been banned in so many countries. Could it be that it has been instructed to divert attention from Guantanamo, torture and rendition until Bush Leaves office? I wonder. Anne Savage London NW3 Competing interests: None declared