The long, bumpy road to recovery
WHAT started as a hopeful journey to recuperation for Tatenda Mulauzi (not his real name) from his death bed in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 19, 2017, has become a long, endless and bumpy ride since he returned home in Matabeleland North province.
Mulauzi had unwillingly left South Africa where he was working after his friends decided to send him back home through oMalayitsha - informal cross boarder transporters - owing to persistent coughing, weakness, weight loss and a fever.
They decided he had to be taken care of by his family back home.
En-route to Tsholotsho, disaster struck his home area of Sipepa where hundreds of homes, including Mulauzi’s were destroyed while people in other wards were marooned due to flooding of the Gwayi River.
There was no more home for Mulauzi to go to.
All the affected communities had been evacuated to higher ground at Sipepa clinic, where a temporary holding camp had been erected.
Mulauzi was then supposed to be handed over to his family at this camp, but alas, on seeing his symptoms and condition, nurses manning the clinic could not take him in for fear of further infection.
He was then referred to Pumula Mission Hospital in the same district where he was then diagnosed of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).
Mulauzi was not the only person affected by the recent floods that left over 800 people from Sipepa area displaced from their homes.
Sixteen-year-old Precious Kurwa (not her real name) who was born with HIV only escaped from the family’s little hut with her two-year-old baby and clothes that where on her body.
“It was so scaring; I thought the world had ended. I was the eldest in the house and did not know how to help my other siblings,” she said.
“Medical records or even my everyday medication were the least thing that came to my mind at that moment.”
Kurwa is one of the 63 people living with HIV and Aids from the village who lost their medical records and tablets to the floods.
Of these 63, only one could not state the medication he was on but the rest have since been started on treatment again.
For Lameck Makwara (not his real name), a 34-year-old gold panner from Bulawayo, the floods where a blessing in disguise as they led him not only in getting tested but also initiated on anti-retroviral drugs.
Makwara had visited Tsholotsho to consult his father-in-law, a traditional healer, on his ailment.
“I had visited several health facilities to no avail. I had also visited several traditional and faith healers but my condition didn’t change until I came to Sipepa to consult my father-in-law who knows about traditional medicine.
“Just before he prescribed anything, disaster struck. It started raining nonstop that he couldn’t even go out to look for the herbs. Before we knew it, the whole village was marooned,” Makwara said.
He said together with many other people, they were airlifted to Sipepa clinic for safety.
Makwara said while at the clinic and still pondering his next move, health workers embarked on daily testing and counselling sessions.
“It was through these sessions, that I agreed to get tested from which I tested positive for both HIV and TB,” Makwara said.
He said soon after testing positive, he was then quarantined from the crowded tents, which accommodated up to 10 people to avoid further infecting others.
Makwara is one of the two people who tested HIV positive in the camp since its establishment on February 18.
He has since completed his two week directly observed TB treatment and has since been initiated on antiretroviral drugs.
Makwara who said he is now feeling much better is now looking forward to returning to Bulawayo and rejoin his family.
Sister-in-charge for Sipepa clinic, Merjury Maphosa said they had traced all people with chronic illnesses and put them back on their medication.
Sister Maphosa said the clinic was fully stocked on all medicines for chronic diseases.
She, however, appealed for counter books to be used for recording patient’s medical history since most of them lost their records to the floods.
“Most of them no longer have medical records and for chronic conditions we need A5 counter books. The clinic does not have these books as well,” Sister Maphosa said.
Tsholotsho district is the most severely flood-affected district in the country to date with about 250 families losing their homes. Roads, bridges and school infrastructure where also destroyed.
Asked about access to health facilities to access HIV treatment since it is supposed to be taken everyday in light of the destroyed roads and bridges, Tsholotsho District Aids Coordinator Mr John Zwelempi Ngwenya said all who needed assistance had been helped.
“Wards that were affected are Wards 6,7, 8, 10 and 15. No one in the wards was cut off from health services as such. They are still receiving all the services from their clinics,” he said.
In the camp, Mr Ngwenya said the National Aids Council together with other partners were assisting with the HIV testing and counselling sessions, behavioural change programmes and condom distribution to prevent HIV infections.
“NAC recently funded a sports gala where several youths participated. The sport kits, balls and nets used where procured by us and the whole purpose is to disseminate HIV and Aids information because we know that when people are in a crisis sometimes it becomes difficult to control their behaviour,” he said.
HIV and Aids is still a public health threat in Zimbabwe with a prevalence rate of about 13,7 percent while its co-infection with Tuberculosis is still a major cause for concern.
In a statement release recently ahead of the World TB Day commemorations, UNAIDS urged countries to intensify their response towards TB among people living with HIV.
It said in 2015 alone, 1.1 million people died from an AIDS-related illness— around 400 000 of whom died from TB, including 40 000 children.
However, according to health analysts, the current state of affairs at Sipepa Camp actually fuels transmittable infections such as Tuberculosis.
Only 69 tents are available for the 859 people staying at the camp with each tent accommodating up to 10 people depending on the size of the tent.
The tents are also set up very close to each other, making transmission possible should any one of the villagers get infected.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira said natural disasters such as the recent floods and cyclone Dineo has increased the vulnerability of families and children.
“It is clear that climate change and the environment in general has tremendous impact on our quality of life and standard of living,” she said.
Minister Mupfumira said the demand for social welfare services in Zimbabwe has also increased due vulnerability exacerbated by poverty and natural disasters.
About 2 000 houses were damaged throughout the country due to flooding leaving about 635 families completely homeless.
Tsholotsho, Lupane, Binga, Mberengwa, Mt Darwin, Masvingo and Harare were some of the districts that were affected by the floods.
Government has since launched an appeal of about US$188 million to assist all victims and rebuilt the destroyed infrastructure.