Musa Makina
THE Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) has joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Nurses Day at a time nurses have together with other health care practitioners proved to be heroes in light of the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.
The ZRCS said it was important to celebrate the efforts by these unsung dedicated nurses and other health care workers on the frontlines in the fight against Covid-19.
ZRCS Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs Stambuli Kim said the pandemic has seen frontline nurses rightly recognised as heroes, but they are also ordinary mothers and fathers with their own families to protect.
He said they deserve to be able to work free from fear, whether because of a lack of PPEs or because of harassment and attack.
“We want to say Happy Nurses Day. Nurses kindle the fire of hope in the darkness of despair and enlighten our world with light and love. Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is key to protecting the health of medical workers and should be prioritized for them.
“Additionally, there is an urgent need to ensure that PPE and other medical supplies are available and accessible in low-resource countries through national measures and intergovernmental cooperation. We continue working with key stakeholders so as to ensure the protection and safety of nurses and other health workers, especially in resource-poor and disaster settings. It is only by ensuring the health and safety of healthcare workers that we – collectively and globally – can ensure a competent medical response in this time of Covid-19,” said Kim.
In Zimbabwe, Kim further noted that the ZRCS seeks to explore the expansion of its medical and pharmaceutical businesses so as to strike a balance of a financially self-sustaining humanitarian player through provision of low cost high quality affordable medical and pharmaceutical services to the Zimbabwean populace.
However, during this nurse’s week, Kim said the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society is extending its heartfelt gratitude to all nurses.
“As a sign of our appreciation to all nurses, the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society through its Red Cross Clinic in Harare will be offering Cervical Cancer screening (VIAC), Blood Pressure and Sugar checks to nurses free of charge from 13 to 14 May 2021.”
The medical clinic is situated at Red Cross House, number 98 Cameron Street in Harare.
“The clinic has been identified as one of the National Society’s key income generating projects for self-sustenance whilst simultaneously fulfilling its social protection mandate by providing quality affordable healthcare to the population, especially those in e low and medium income bracket. The clinic is essentially a low cost primary healthcare facility offering quality medical services at significantly low, affordable rates compared to other private and public healthcare institutions,” said Elias Hwenga, ZRCS secretary general.
Hwenga added that nurses are the world’s life-savers as they are risking their own health and too often sacrificing time with their family to help those suffering from Covid-19.
He further said it’s heartening to see many communities praise and thank nurses, adding that that their services cater for Clinic patients as well as referrals from public hospitals while the Pharmacy also catering for the clinic patients only.
“Our laboratory department is comprehensive, offering haematology, microbiology, serology and chemistry and is also referral from local surgeries, clinics and hospitals. With the trusted Red Cross brand and favourable pricing model, the Red Cross Clinic and healthcare projects are poised for major growth. The Society plans to leverage on the success of the Harare Clinic and proposed Hospital to duplicate this model in other provinces country wide,” said Dr Joel Tapi, the ZRCS Clinic Practitioner in Charge.
He added that the safety of health care workers during this pandemic is crucial for communities to overcome the disease as they not only save people from Covid-19 but they also ensure the continuity of life saving health services to protect people from accidents and other illnesses.
