By Evans Dakwa
The Matebeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affair’s visit to the Chicago bus accident scene and the injured at Beitbridge Hospital, has laid bare the healthcare challenges facing the country as it emerged the District Hospital has no water at the moment.
Addressing the Minister and journalists, Beitbridge Senator, Tambudzani Mohadi revealed the hospital has no water, pleading with the Provincial Minister to assist in expediting the equipping of the hospital as it serves not only the district but the entire nation due to its strategic location .
“My Honourable Minister, the Hospital has no water, if at all maybe payments are done or not , we plead, this hospital is not for Beitbridge only , it is for the whole nation. You heard from the people mama, they are coming from Karoi, Gweru and across the country. All these accidents which happen here, end up here.So we pleading, may be that you look at us with a special eye more than other hospitals so that all the logistics that are needed are available, she said.
The Hospital, which was treating most of the injured people, is also short of key medical sundries as revealed by some of the injured patients who pleaded with the Minister to assist them in getting pain killers. On her part the Minister promised the government will assist in providing the medicinal needs of the injured including medicines and urged the local business people to assist highlighting the impact of sanctions. “For those that have passed away, the Government will take charge of the funerals including burials, those who are alive, we are trying to assist in terms of medication and upkeep during the time they are in hospital. I also call upon the Beitbridge business people to come and assist the Government especially with the issue of water, it’s our hospital together, you all know the issue of sanctions and we are have struggles getting lines of credit because of these sanctions,” said the Minister.
“I am very grateful to the President for allowing us to have such schemes that assist our people during critical times times, to the Beitbridge community; I would like to thank them very much, especially the Councilors, the Senator and MPs , they have been there for our people,” she added.
The Minister also bemoaned the issue of stray animals causing the loss of lives calling for a reset back to our values where livestock was put in enclosures at night.
We have to go back to that culture where our donkeys, goats are put in kraals every night to save the lives of people; these people should have not died. I am very hurt that our people have lost their culture; we had a culture that protected; a culture where each homestead had a kraal for animals. But today, we no longer doing that and as a result we have a serious accident were lives are lost,” said Minister Ndlovu.
She urged the local leadership and the Ministries of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Resettlement and that of Local Government to work together and ensure perimeter fence erected to stop animals from straying onto roads to reduce these accidents
The accident occurred around 01:30 in the morning of Saturday at Chicago ,when a City bus from Johannesburg tried to avoid a stray donkey resulting in a head on collision with a Blue Circle bus coming from Kadoma. Seven people died on the spot whilst two others succumbed upon admission to Beitbridge Hospital. The injured were mostly treated at the local hospital and discharged. There are remaining six people who are in a stable condition with three others critical at United Bulawayo Hospitals.