I was very pleased to read Kate Adams article about the health
services in Zimbabwe. I wanted to take the opportunity to salute the
heroes of the Zimbabwean health service who have kept it going through
thick and thin. I would particularly want to mention Dr Monica Glenshaw
and Sister Barbara Wilson who work in Buhera, one of the poorest districts
in Zimbabwe, and have kept their hospital going despite poverty, violence,
cholera and the HIV-TB epidemic. Among many others, Dr Margaret Borok and
Dr "Rati" Ndlovu deserve a mention. They work in the Department of
Medicine in the medical school in Harare which continues to produce 170
medical graduates every year.
The role of the British government should also be acknowledged as,
despite extreme provocation from some elements in the Zimbabwean
government, we have continued to contribute strongly to the health economy
in Zimbabwe. At one time nearly all the drugs in Zimbabwe were being
contributed by the British through the Department for International
Development (http://www.dfid.gov.uk.). DFID agents also helped broker the
deal that put the doctors and nurses back to work and re-opened the
central hospitals in 2009. These entirely humanitarian efforts will have
saved many lives. They need to be sustained and enhanced.
Dr Adams mentioned the TB programme in Buhera which is based in
Murambinda Hospital. It is strongly supported by a group of British
doctors through the Charity “Friends of Murambinda”
(http://www.fmh.org.uk/). The charity supports salaries and
administration resulting in a very well functioning hospital. It is also
true that that the TB-HIV programme in Buhera is performing strongly when
compared with the surrounding districts. Many factors have contributed to
this but they include strong leadership, a clear vision and the engagement
of several NGOs who are building towards a common goal. The largest of
these is MSF Belgium but the British charity, TB alert
(http://www.tbalert.org/) has made a significant contribution through
financial and intellectual support. The programme is now described by the
provincial Medical Director as a "model programme" and later this year a
collaborative project between the Manicaland Provincial Health Department
and consultants from the south London Academic Health Science centre,
Kings Health Partners, will seek to evaluate whether the successes in
Buhera can be extended to other parts of the province.
Competing interests:
I have had at least one flight to Zimbabwe paid by TB alert.
Rapid Response:
British support for Zimbabwe's Health Systems
I was very pleased to read Kate Adams article about the health
services in Zimbabwe. I wanted to take the opportunity to salute the
heroes of the Zimbabwean health service who have kept it going through
thick and thin. I would particularly want to mention Dr Monica Glenshaw
and Sister Barbara Wilson who work in Buhera, one of the poorest districts
in Zimbabwe, and have kept their hospital going despite poverty, violence,
cholera and the HIV-TB epidemic. Among many others, Dr Margaret Borok and
Dr "Rati" Ndlovu deserve a mention. They work in the Department of
Medicine in the medical school in Harare which continues to produce 170
medical graduates every year.
The role of the British government should also be acknowledged as,
despite extreme provocation from some elements in the Zimbabwean
government, we have continued to contribute strongly to the health economy
in Zimbabwe. At one time nearly all the drugs in Zimbabwe were being
contributed by the British through the Department for International
Development (http://www.dfid.gov.uk.). DFID agents also helped broker the
deal that put the doctors and nurses back to work and re-opened the
central hospitals in 2009. These entirely humanitarian efforts will have
saved many lives. They need to be sustained and enhanced.
Dr Adams mentioned the TB programme in Buhera which is based in
Murambinda Hospital. It is strongly supported by a group of British
doctors through the Charity “Friends of Murambinda”
(http://www.fmh.org.uk/). The charity supports salaries and
administration resulting in a very well functioning hospital. It is also
true that that the TB-HIV programme in Buhera is performing strongly when
compared with the surrounding districts. Many factors have contributed to
this but they include strong leadership, a clear vision and the engagement
of several NGOs who are building towards a common goal. The largest of
these is MSF Belgium but the British charity, TB alert
(http://www.tbalert.org/) has made a significant contribution through
financial and intellectual support. The programme is now described by the
provincial Medical Director as a "model programme" and later this year a
collaborative project between the Manicaland Provincial Health Department
and consultants from the south London Academic Health Science centre,
Kings Health Partners, will seek to evaluate whether the successes in
Buhera can be extended to other parts of the province.
Competing interests:
I have had at least one flight to Zimbabwe paid by TB alert.
Competing interests: No competing interests