Eye camp brings sight to the blind
SHE spent thousands of US dollars and travelled across the borders of the country all in search of her sight which had left her due to an unfortunate cataract condition.
On the evening of New Year’s Day in 2021, she eventually lost her sight, but Mrs Locadia Makiwa, a 53-year-old pre-school teacher, never lost hope.
She remained confident and optimistic that her salvation was coming.
Unbeknown to her, salvation was not in the faraway places she was frequenting across the borders, emptying her family’s financial resources in the process.
After nearly exhausting the family funds, she was referred to a teaching hospital in South Africa, Steve Biko Academic Hospital of Pretoria.
This came with five-star referral which said if she managed to get there, her condition would be cured.
All the paperwork was done and the operation that could have saved her was set.
Unfortunately for her, right at the last minute when she thought salvation had arrived, the operation was cancelled because she was a foreigner!
Hope lost, resources wasted, Mrs Makiwa was back at home, her sight still not restored.
An advert was flighted that Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals would be running an eye camp, where specialist doctors were offering eye treatment at no cost.
Mrs Makiwa grabbed the opportunity.
And just after 3pm on Thursday a bandage was removed from her eyes signalling the completion of a successful operation, one year and 11 months since losing her sight .
The bandage was removed in the presence of Vice President and Minister of Health Constantino Chiwenga, who had visited to officially open an eye camp at Parirenyatwa’s Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit.
Unlike in all her previous unsuccessful expeditions, this operation was free of charge.
The eye camp opened by VP Chiwenga, a first of its kind since the start of the global Covid-19 pandemic and one of the best eye specialist centres in the region, is providing free corrective eye procedures.
On normal days outside the camp, patients aged between five and 65 years will pay a nominal fee at the hospital that is far below that of private facilities.
The launch of the eye camp is in sync with President Mnangagwa’s thrust of offering a health care system that answers to all the needs of the populace.
These services are right at the centre of the universal health coverage which the Government has enunciated.
To many this is a pipe dream, but Mrs Makiwa and several others who have so far benefited from this eye camp will tell you about the reality on the ground.
“When I lost my sight I frequented hospitals in South Africa to restore my sight, paid a lot of money to get my sight back,” said Mrs Makiwa. At some point I was charged R25 000, and was also charged R30 000.
“I could not afford some of the hospital bills, but at Steve Biko (Hospital), I was charged R15 000. It was an optimistic referral, but right at the last minute they told me that they could not assist because I was a foreigner and they refunded the money.
“My children told me about the Prirenyatwa advert, and I came here and got assistance free of charge. Now my sight is restored. I can see. This is a miracle. I want to thank the Government for this great initiative. I was skeptical, but now I trust the health system here in Zimbabwe.
“I have frequented South African hospitals, but my salvation came from home. I want to thank the Vice President and his entire team in the Ministry of Health for a wonderful job that restored my sight.
“I want to encourage fellow Zimbabweans to visit our health station for treatment. They are the best and the Government has managed to transform them. I couldn’t believe seeing a whole Vice President coming down to assist an ordinary citizen. Zimbabwe, we are blessed to have such humble leadership.”
It is not only Mrs Makiwa whose sight was restored.
Mr Danai Njeza was involved in a workplace accident two years ago and lost his sight.
He said he was surprised that the service was being offered for free and came just to try his luck as he was desperate.
“I did not expect that it would be this success,” said Mr Njeza. “I want to thank the Ministry of Health for doing this, very few people can be this kind. I want to thank the Vice President and his team. I am very happy.”
After the bandage was removed from her eyes, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Jasper Chimedza asked Mrs Makiwa if she knew the person in front of her.
She was elated to meet the Vice President.
“I am happy VP Chiwenga shook my hand,” she said. “I will tell my children, they will be happy. God bless you VP.”
Mr John Mahuda thanked the Government and commended the works done by President Mnangagwa’s administration.
After his bandage was removed, Mr Willard Chifamba could not hide his joy after seeing again.
He told Vice President Chiwenga that he could not wait to see his wife again. VP Chiwenga ordered his lieutenants in the Ministry to work towards ensuring that the eye camp was an annual event and also be decentralised to other towns.
He ordered that more equipment be procured, and that the eye clinic be renovated to give improved ambience in line with the excellent work the doctors were doing.