PROVIDING patients with proper nutrition helps them to speedily heal and bolster their strength.
It is against this background that the country’s health
ambassador and philanthropist First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, through her
Angel of Hope Foundation, yesterday donated a consignment of rice and
mealie-meal to major referral hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo as part of her
efforts to augment supplies for patients at the health facilities.
Ms Rainmore Ndlovu who was representing patients in
Bulawayo thanked Health Ambassador, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for the
mealie-meal and rice she donated to hospitals in the city
Beneficiaries included Sally Mugabe Central Hospital,
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Chitungwiza Central Hospital, United Bulawayo
Hospitals (UBH), Mpilo Central Hospital and Mbuya Nehanda Maternity hospital.
This is not the first time the mother of the nation has
provided hospitals with food and other basic necessities as she does so
regularly. She also promotes the consumption of traditional dishes which boast
high nutritional benefits and medicinal properties.
Old people’s homes and orphanages are also regular
recipients of food support from the First Lady who treasures nutrition for all
and sundry.
Yesterday, each hospital received five tonnes of maize meal
and 200kg rice.
United Bulawayo Hospitals Public Relations Officer Nobuhle
Thaka thanked Health Ambassador First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for the
mealie-meal and rice she donated to hospitals in Bulawayo
Receiving the consignment, representatives of the
benefiting hospitals paid tribute to Dr Mnangagwa for her regular support,
saying it was a reflection of her love for all the country’s citizens.
The public relations officer for Sally Mugabe Central
Hospital, Mrs Greater Mafara, said the food would go a long way in improving
the nutrition for patients at the medical facility.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Her
Excellency, the First Lady Amai Mnangagwa, for donating to our hospitals. It’s
not the first time that she has done so. At this juncture, the food items are
very important because nutrition is part of treatment when it comes to managing
our patients,” she said with a huge smile.
“We can give medicines, but without good nutrition, it will
be of no use so this is very important. She has shown her love through these
regular donations and this shows that she is the mother to the whole nation by
recognising everyone including patients in hospitals.”
Director of operations for Chitungwiza Central Hospital, Mr
Edson Mundenda shared similar sentiments.
“We are quite grateful for the gesture by the First Lady as
it will go a long way in alleviating the food situation for patients. We are so
grateful, particularly coming at this time of the year when resources will be
scarce, but now when you get such a donation we can only thank the First Lady
because it will help the hospital and improve the nutrition side of patients
because food is a basic human need,” he said.
Acting director of operations at Parirenyatwa Group of
Hospitals, Mr Orient Dube paid glowing tribute to the mother of the nation for
her regular interventions.
“We are here again to accept another donation that we have
been given by Amai, the First Lady Her Excellency Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa. We are
very grateful for what she keeps on doing for us,” he said.
“We are going to ensure it is going to be used for its
intended purpose. We are going to ensure that our patients are going to be fed
with the mealie-meal and the rice that Amai has provided us with. Without rice
and mealie-meal, the hospital will suffer because our patients will suffer from
malnutrition.”
UBH senior nursing officer who is also the hospital’s
public relations officer, Mrs Nobuhle Thaka said the donation came as a
surprise and thanked the First Lady for the gesture.
“This is a surprise
for us as an institution, but at the same time, this is typical of our mother.
She is so motherly and always thinks of the less privileged and we are so
excited to have so much mealie-meal and rice,” said Mrs Thaka.
She said UBH has three kitchens, the main one for patients,
Lady Rodwell for expecting mothers and the kitchen where student nurses are
served their meals.
“On a daily basis, we use about 50kg of mealie-meal and 60
kg of rice for all these kitchens. To the First Lady, I would like to
appreciate this gesture,” said Mrs Thaka.
“As a health practitioner, I can administer medication, but
the patient also needs food for the medicine to properly work. The donation is
great news and our patients are guaranteed of a good diet which will enhance
their recovery process.”
A patient at the health facility, Ms Rainmore Ndlovu said
the donation gives them hope.
“This gives me so much hope as a patient here at UBH. The
donation by the First Lady will go a long way in aiding our healing,” she said.
Another patient, Ms Sisasenkosi Moyo thanked Dr Mnangagwa,
saying as patients, they will forever remain grateful to her benevolence.
“It gives us hope of a continued good and healthy diet and
all this is because of umama wethu,” she said.
Mr Munashe Zibako, who is also a patient said: “I would
like to wholeheartedly thank our First Lady, Dr Mnangagwa for thinking about us
and we are now guaranteed of full recovery.” Chronicle
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