Nhau News Online News that is accurate, reliable, trustworthy!!
By Caroline Gumbo
Villagers of Chivi South in Masvingo province have applauded the government for decentralising health service centres and deploying health workers to provide necessary health care services close to their doorsteps through the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC).
This comes against the backdrop of villagers failing to get vaccines or their children being immunised due to the distance barrier that left them to endure walking long distances to access medical services.
This was confirmed by Provincial Nursing Officer Cresencia Maphosa during an Outreach Immunisation Programme recently held at Chishavakadzi Secondary School.
She said that said due to the decentralisation of health facilities, the villagers were now able to access their medication within their communities.
“With this Immunisation Outreach Programme, our patients are now able to access medical services close to their homes and some are no longer missing their medication as they were walking long distances to the clinic.
“The establishment of health centres has had a positive impact on the community as confirmed by this huge turn out of people to come and get their vaccines. Mothers have turned out in numbers for the immunisation of their children,” said Maphosa.
Maphosa attributed the turnout to the work being done by other stakeholders they are working with to conscientise the villagers on the importance of immunisation and taking vacccines.
“Our stakeholders including community health workers are playing an important role by mobilising members of the surrounding communities door to door and delivering basic health care services ensuring that every person has been vaccinated,” she said.
A villager, Rufaro Tasiyana from Ganga village said the availing of outreach centres is benefiting them as they are no longer walking long distances to access immunisation services for their children.
“The outreach programme in our communities has come as a relief to us as mothers because our children were missing some of their immunisation injections as we were unable to reach the centres. Imagine having to carry three kids for immunisation for a long distance.
“Government deserves our gratitude for availing us of this programme,” she said.
The MoHCC with funding support from Global Alliance For Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), through UNICEF, is currently conducting an integrated COVID-19 and Routine Immunisation blitz campaign to intensify COVID-19 vaccination among all eligible people aged 12 years and above.
They are targeting to reach at least 70% of the total population in order to meet global requirements.
They are also spearheading the uptake of Vitamin A supplements for children below five years of age as well as HPV vaccines for girls aged between 10–11 years. Nhau/Indaba
