Her death on Thursday is not just a reminder of Covid-19’s
ruthlessness but has robbed thousands of villagers in Matabeleland North and
South provinces of a philanthropist
In Bulawayo many knew her as the founder of the Elite
Medical Clinic situated along corner 5th Avenue and Josiah Tongogara Street but
to thousands others she was the brains behind the medical mission which for
years had been targeting underprivileged rural folk who could not afford
specialists health care services.
Dr Matekere succumbed to Covid-19 in Bulawayo.
The Zimbabwe Medical Association president Dr Francis
Chiwora confirmed her death yesterday saying it was devastating to see health
care workers die while trying to save lives from the global pandemic which has
killed more than 3 500 people in Zimbabwe.
“She was a young and hard-working cadre who succumbed to
Covid-19 and there is nothing as devastating as knowing one of you died as a
result of trying to save lives. She indeed paid the ultimate price of trying to
save lives and her death is nothing but a painful reminder of the havoc that
this global pandemic is causing,” said Dr Chiwora.
“We are pained when we lose our patients to Covid and it’s
even worse when it’s one of us as we continue trying our best to save our
people from this global pandemic.”
Thousands of villagers from Lupane, Nkanyi, and Gwanda
benefited from medical outreach programmes which the late Dr Matekere
facilitated with her pastor and leader of the Abundant Life Revival Mission
International Church.
The programmes which were halted when Covid-19 broke out in
Zimbabwe last year in March were conducted during weekends.
Dr Matekere would rope in her colleagues from the medical
fraternity to go into the deep rural areas and render specialised health care
services for free.
She would also work flat out during the programmes,
sometimes retiring to bed at midnight just to ensure that the elderly had
access to dental or optical services which were out of reach for a majority.
Abundant Life Revival Mission International Church founder and pastor,
Prophet Itai Ukama said Dr Matekere’s death is a huge blow
to Matabeleland as a region as she was also known for attending to patients
free of charge even in Bulawayo.
He said the Dr Matekere will be remembered for the
sacrifices which like her name were always a surprise to grateful residents who
never dreamt they would afford specialised health care services.
“I had the privilege to work with her, just like her name
she never ceased to surprise all of us and honestly her death is a surprise to
many, we still cannot believe she is no more. She was not just an ordinary
human being because she served whole heartedly without expecting riches in
return like some of our health practitioners,” said Prophet Ukama. Chronicle
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