Mthabisi Nembaware was a passenger in a vehicle whose tyre
burst along the Hauna-Mutare Highway.
He sustained a traumatic brain injury and was initially
stabilised at Mutare Provincial Hospital.
However, due to the lack of a functional intensive care
unit at Manicaland’s largest referral hospital, which is currently operating
with an inefficient ambulance system, he could not be airlifted to Harare for
specialised medical care because the Mutare airport had malfunctioning landing
lights.
Nembaware succumbed to the injuries at around 11pm on
Friday night.
The medical doctor, who reportedly was returning from duty
at Hauna Hospital when the accident occurred, was betrayed by a system which he
diligently served, stakeholders in the medical fraternity charged.
In response to the tragic turn of events, doctors and
experts from across the board expressed grief over Nembaware’s fate.
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights secretary
Norman Matara said: “The circumstances surrounding the death of Dr Mthabisi
Nembaware are just the ripple effects of a failed health delivery system and a
failed State.
“It is unfortunate that Zimbabwean citizens continue to
lose their lives through avoidable deaths. While we acknowledge that people
even in developed countries die from accidents, citizens should be given a
chance to live through timely and appropriate emergency healthcare services.
“Dr Nembaware wasn’t able to get that. His death serves as
another reminder to the government of Zimbabwe to introspect and seriously
invest in healthcare so that we address these challenges that have been there
for decades and continue to claim lives of innocent citizens.”
Health expert Hamadziripi Dube said the operating system
had let them down and that a relook was inevitable.
“There is no proper system in place to provide private
transportation for doctors and we call upon the government to re-introduce the
systems that were in place soon after independence,” Dube said.
“Serious intervention is needed. Some time back, there were
vehicle loans for medical personnel, where they could purchase personal
vehicles, but right now, that privilege is not there.
“It is a call for the government to revisit all the
statutory instruments that were (in place) in the (late former President
Robert) Mugabe era.”
Added Dube: “The second republic has removed a number of
things that were being done to assist medical personnel. Doctors working in the
rural areas need to be incentivised.
“There are a number of things which are non-monetary. If it
was private transport, it was going to be something else, but look, a medical
doctor died in a public transport, a mushikashika vehicle. It is a call for the
government to intervene,” he added.
The 30 helicopters bought by government from Russia last
year as air ambulances were in no show at the critical moment for Nembaware,
who will be buried today in Chiware village, Makoni district, Manicaland
province.
Another health expert, Josephat Chiripanyanga, said
Nembaware’s ordeal was a reflection of how medical personnel suffer to save
lives.
He expressed worry over the manner in which Nembaware died.
“As medical practitioners, it is sad that we failed to save
one of our own, which also goes a long way to express the challenges we face in
the medical fraternity. If it is difficult to save one of our own, how
difficult is it going to be to save even the generality of our patients?”
Chiripanyanga said.
“As such, we encourage the government and implore it to
improve the health delivery systems, especially when it comes to referrals,
availability of ambulances, air ambulances, helicopters and all those things to
the general public and to be easily accessible and affordable.
“The systems should also be upgraded to work properly to
provide better services to the general public. We plead with the newlyappointed
Minister of Health, Dr Douglas Mombeshora to improve issues to do with air
ambulances, helicopters and things like that so that we can be able to transfer
patients on time.”
He added: “We are asking the government to ensure that
specialist services are available in all provinces and even in rural setups. We
are pleading with the government to be able to provide all the specialists to
man the health institutions so that they are able to provide emergency services
without having to worry over transporting patients for such services.”
On Saturday, nurses at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital
expressed shock that the system Nembaware had served failed to save him.
“If that can happen to a government doctor, what more about
us mere nurses. We can imagine how even the poor man on the street can be
saved,” the nurses said.
Contacted for comment, Mombeshora said he was not aware of
the death of Nembaware.
“I have been out the whole day attending Chitungwiza
(Central) Hospital CEO [chief executive officer] Michael Chiwanga’s funeral. I
am yet to be apprised on that,” he said. Newsday
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