By Nevson Mpofu
Health infrastructural development is quite a long-term process that takes years to reach to negotiation conclusions and accomplishments. In an atom of concerted effort to save millions of children today and into the future, WIZEAR has done a step of success towards a new development in an upcoming humanitarian project that will cost millions of US$ dollars to reach its height.
A resurrected initiative of a hospital theatre was witnessed in Harare at the Sally Mugabe Hospital formerly Harare Hospital on 27 January on Wednesday this week. WIZEAR carried out successfully a Pediatric [Ear , Nose and Throat ] ENT Theatre project hand-over ceremony. The hospital stands by in full confirmation of the success of the infrastructural development project. The new theatre project space stands between ENT Audiology and Speech Theatre Unit and Hospital Administration.
This entails the vitiated idea by WIZEAR t o help the hospital build a Pediatric Centre to cater for a big number of babies born at the hospital. This comes awake of challenges experienced in the past. Speaking to a small number of invited Medical experts Lucia Nkomo Programs Director for WIZEAR pointed out that they realized the need to take humanitarian action so as to help the hospital reduce its long-standing ques. This has become possible owing attention to population increase in Harare and the fact that the hospital as a central one caters for the nation as a whole.
‘’WIZEAR realized the need to help people since the hospital was having ques, with people in need of services. There was need for a new theatre so that the challenge could be alleviated. It is clear we had to reduce burden of long waiting list’’.
‘’Currently the theater is overwhelmed. This has resulted in a number of complications, hence why challenges emerged. At the same time, the hospital is growing bigger than how it was, therefore there is increase in clients, this resulting in increase as well in services.’’
Lucia adds that it took a bit of time to come to a conclusion regarding success of this project. She added that they had to put more concerted effort so that they could reach out to the end with success so that this project could win.
‘’It was a long journey since 2017 when we started meetings and discussions pertaining this project. It took time because sometimes hospital Chief Executive Officers could be change then there could come someone with different expectations. Thus, why we ended having 3 sites for the location of the theatre. but still we reached end of the journey.
Dr Clemence Founder and Body Member of WIZEAR a , trained Doctor , Chidziva said the vitiated idea to come up with the theatre is infrastructure to save communities that need the services. The hospital is just a center but it can not stand still without the people.
‘’Our vision is to see communities served with all they need as health services. These services must reach out to the people who are the beneficiaries. We are concerned with mothers who give birth and also the babies who also need survival. The construction of the theatre will go a long way in solving the problems currently faced ‘’.
‘’The theatre and Audiology Unit will also serve as a training school for ENT [Ear, Nose, Throat] Registers ‘’. WIZEAR provides quality affordable services to low in-come families. The organization provides surgical services. These are not only for ENT related cases but for others out there. We are ear consultants, with ENT surgeons. We do provision of hearing aids and hearing aids batteries. This means we save communities from problems they face especially in hearing impairment problems.
‘’ Our services are diverse there-on as we look at ear moulds , shooting hearing aids .On top of that we do basic ENT training to professionals and equipping hospitals with basic audiology equipment.’’ , he said
Dr Christopher Pasi CEO of the hospital said 1500 children attended the ENT theater last year. He also sees the need to work on the project. At the same time, he sniffs success of the whole project considering the fact that WIZEAR showed its full commitment from the beginning.
‘’Last year we had 1,500 children who attended the ENT. It tells us more of what is on demand and what is needed for us to go on. As the number of patients increases, the hospital grows, therefore services must be up as well’’.
‘’Yes, the journey has been long but we had to make it happen. The hospital is growing, which means there is big demand for better services, facilities, medicines, professional staff and growing infrastructure. As hospital we commend on the work done by WIZEAR.’’
WIZEAR, has done a number of community operations in hearing health care services. It reached a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health and Child Care in order for it to operate under laws of the Government. It has to date trained 735 professions, most of them in 2018. The organization came up with the Public Health Planning in Prevention of Hearing Impairment a move which saw it getting participants in its training from regional countries like Kenya, Madagascar, Botswana, , South Africa and Mozambique . It trainings have been in touch with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Diseases.
In its guidance it came up with a document, National Strategy Document for Prevention of Hearing Loss a tool that goes a long way in health guidance since it is 4th in the region. This is an advocacy tool to lobby Government provide ear and hearing therapy.
