Happy Thanksgiving

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Today the Minister of Health, Dr. Pariranyetwa and Dr. Chombo the Minister of Local Government and   National Housing and Public Works arrived by helicopter with our Minister of Parliament, Dr. Gandawa and several top government officials from the Ministry of Health.  They discussed with us what happened and pledged their total support to rebuild the buildings destroyed and have people here quickly to assess if the buildings can be saved at all or new buildings have to built and how.  They promised that something would get started and accomplished this year, not waiting until 2014! How exciting is that?

We gave officials a tour of the fire damaged buildings as well as a tour of the hospital.  We only had 5 patients admitted and 3 in Maternity and one in Labor.  We had a busier outpatient today and Antenatal Clinic as well as our ART and TB patients for refills, so it was quite busy today.  Slowly we are building up patients.

The top medical officers from our Provincial Medical Office and District Hospital and the Medical Superintendent of our Provincial Hospital in Chinhoyi came also.  Chinhoyi Hospital also brought blankets, sheets, pillows and boxes of medicine and supplies including some serving dishes for the hospital.  We were so thankful for these donations and have put them into use already.

The Lions Club from Karoi sent people yesterday to see the damage and take pictures and have promised to bring plates and cups and food for our kitchen by the weekend and have applied for an International grant to help also. We are so thankful for their care and concern for our hospital and patients.

We are so thankful to so many people who have quickly responded to our needs.  God has blessed us beyond our imagination since last week on Thursday morning when we saw the flames coming out of the kitchen, laundry and drug storeroom. We were just focusing on the loss and not how much God was going to provide for us.

We are so thankful to the government who has recognized our dedication to provide good quality health care to all people in Zimbabwe we serve daily and the need to quickly get us up and working fully as soon as possible.  Each day we see some progress in getting back to full capacity.  Even though it has been nice to have a bit of a break from so many patients we see each day, we are anxious to get back to work, and our community is ready for us too!

We are so thankful for the people throughout the world who have responded to our needs.   So many people have called and written to express their sorrow and sympathies and to pledge their help.  We are so touched by all of this.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the US, a day we remember all we are thankful for.  We are thankful to the government of Zimbabwe and their promised help, and to so many who have donated and are asking others to donate.  It has been so overwhelming to all of us.  You have made our Thanksgiving Day a special one this year. Thank You to all of you!
Dr. Chombo and Dr. Pariranyetwa
Touring the fire damage
Dr. Pariranyetwa speaking at the hospital
MP Gandawa on left, Dr. Chombo and Dr. Kajese on right
Dr. Pariranyetwa with me
 
 
 
 

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