Progress
Muzuva, who sustained fractures on her spine and leg in 2018 while saving a
newborn baby and her mother during a violent ambulance transfer, accused the
Ministry of Health and Child Care of misleading the public to cover up years of
neglect and bureaucratic failure.
Her ordeal,
first revealed in a viral social media audio, occurred in an ambulance during a
midnight transfer from Bikita Rural District Hospital to Silveira Mission
Hospital, when the expectant mother suddenly became violent.
The nurse
delivered the baby girl inside the moving ambulance while fending off repeated
attacks from the mother, who at one point struck her with a bench.
She was holding
the slippery newborn, whose umbilical cord had not yet been cut and the
placenta in her hands to prevent the child from bleeding, even as she tried to
shield herself from blows from the mother.
By the time the
ambulance stopped, she had sustained lasting injuries that left her unable to
walk normally.
Truth Diggers,
the investigative unit of Alpha Media Holdings, went beyond the viral account —
visiting the nurse for a face-to-face interview, tracking down the patient and
her family, and meeting the now eight-year-old child she saved that night.
What emerged is
a story of extraordinary courage, a miraculous survival and deep neglect by the
very health system she served.
A Health
ministry Press statement on August 8, 2025, had painted a picture of
comprehensive State support, including free medical care and timely benefits
for Muzuva.
But Muzuva says
she was deeply hurt the government saw it fit to issue a Press statement
claiming she was on full State support at a time when she had appealed for
public assistance.
This, she says,
misled the public and turned potential well-wishers against her, with some
accusing her of trying to profiteer from the situation
“The Ministry
of Health and Child Care acknowledges the concerns raised by Ms. Progress
Muzuva and reaffirms its commitment to treating her case with the seriousness,
empathy and transparency it deserves,” the statement read.
“We recognise
the impact of her injury sustained in the line of duty in 2018 and remain
committed to ensuring that all matters are addressed in accordance with
applicable laws, regulations and established procedures. As of January 21,
2020, Ms Muzuva was granted Government patient status, entitling her to free
treatment in public health institutions. This status remains in effect to
date.”
Muzuva says the
government claims are false, detailing how she has repeatedly footed hospital
bills, denied an audience with senior officials and left to survive on US$93 a
month, while her retirement package
remains unresolved.
She presented
to Truth Diggers medical receipts as proof of payment made for medical expenses
on the day before government made that statement.
“The Ministry
indicated that they granted me Government patient status, which could be true
on paper, but in practice, I have been footing my medical bills and did not
get free treatment, even at Masvingo
General Hospital. On August 7, 2025, a day before yesterday, I paid at Masvingo
General Hospital a consultation fee of US$9 and US$20 for X-ray, proof of payment is attached to
this statement and was shared with the issuer of the Ministry’s Press
statement, Mr Mujiri.”
Muzuva said she
went on social media to narrate her ordeal because she felt government had
failed her.
She has knocked
on the doors of several government officials who treated her badly, and at one
point went to the Health minister’s office, but was denied an opportunity to
see him.
Over the years,
she has been using personal funds to cover all medical expenses. Muzuva said
government has delayed processing her retirement package.
Despite this, the nurse says she has no vendetta against the family of the woman, Elizabeth Dunira, who injured her. The family, which lives in Kufakunesu village, ward 13, in Bikita district, offered to help her soon after her injury.
On one
occasion, Dunira’s father-in-law, Augustine Gondo, offered to give Muzuva two
beasts as compensation, but she could not accept, knowing the family already
struggled to make ends meet.
Gondo said he
learnt of the incident from the ambulance driver.
“The driver of
the ambulance came to my house the morning after the incident,” he said.
“He had a
swollen face because my daughter-in-law had punched him. He told me she had
given birth, but that she had also injured the nurse.”
“I regret my
poverty,” he added, his voice heavy with remorse. “If I had the means, I would
have done everything possible to help the nurse recover. Every time I see my
granddaughter, I am reminded of the nurse and the harm she suffered.”
Dunira, who was
at the centre of the incident, expressed regret over the incident.
“I feel deeply
sorry for what happened,” she said. “I don’t know what came over me. It was as if evil spirits took control. I
never intended to hurt the nurse.”
Muzuva declined
the family’s help, saying she could not demand payment for “national duty”.
Newsday
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