My Trip to Chidamoyo at the beginning of April, 2005

The trip to Zimbabwe went well. The opening of the Centre was a success. Over a thousand people including the local chief, 22 headmen and a representative from the Ministry of Health were present at the dedication service which lasted just under 5 hours in a temperature above 30°C. I met Helen and Ziden Nutt the original founders of the Mission Station who had come out from America for the event. I learnt how the name “Chidamoyo” which means “What the heart desires” was given to the area where people displaced by the building of the Kariba Dam were settled.

Life in Chidamoyo has changed quite a lot since my last visit in 2001. AIDS-related deaths are still high but at least the ARV drugs are available now. They are made in Zimbabwe. Although the government hospitals don't distribute them, the Chidamoyo Christian Hospital buys them and sells them at cost to the patients. They are distributed free to staff and orphans supported by charity. The hospital charges far less for the drugs than rural people are prepared to pay to witchdoctors. Slowly people are beginning to accept that modern medicine is cheaper and more effective. The Chidamoyo Christian Hospital is the only hospital distributing the drugs at present. All other people only get them by paying for private treatment.

One of the ways I kept myself busy while I was there was by helping to compile the quarterly medical returns for the Department of Health. For the period January- March, 2005, they read as follows:
Deliveries -294
Out-patients seen – 7889
General patients admitted to wards – 985
Caesarean Sections done – 10
Deaths – 52
New AIDS patients -491
New Tuberculosis patients – 301

National grid electricity, as opposed to a generator running two hours a day has also made quite a difference - hot water, lights, fans to keep you cool and even satellite television! Still no telephone, but radio contact meant that it was a lot less isolated than in 2001. Electricity means that more sophisticated machinery can be used.
My visit gave her an opportunity to re-assess needs of the hospital, which the Chidamoyo Trust might help to address. We had intended to raise money to fund the purchase of a portable dental unit. Unfortunately the person, who would have used the dental unit we'd intended to supply, has since died from an AIDS- related disease. It is therefore not practical to spend money on a dental unit at this point in time.

We have therefore decided on a new project. The fact that skilled people like the dental technician, are either dying or leaving the country is a major problem facing the area. On the advice of the hospital management we have therefore decided to raise money for a medical testing centre instead of a dental unit. The existing facilities are inadequate. Patients are tested in the actual laboratory and the equipment is difficult to use. More sophisticated equipment would mean that it would be easier to train staff to use it and the whole process would be more efficient. At the moment patients are tested for HIV, TB, and Malaria among other things. This testing is very important as it determines the treatment offered. The government hospital in the area can longer provide this service and so it is vitally important. The cost of building and fitting out a new lab would be about £20,000. With the help of the Reading Roadrunners we hope to raise this amount by January 2006.