By
Ndumiso
Tshuma
The
donation
was
officially
handed
over
during
a
ceremony
at
the
hospital
on
Thursday.
Speaking
at
the
event,
Nedbank’s
Head
of
Origination
and
Sales,
Harry
Harrise,
acknowledged
the
hospital’s
long-standing
challenges
in
accessing
essential
medical
equipment.
“From
what
I
gathered
from
officials
at
Mpilo,
the
hospital
has
been
using
ordinary
beds
simply
because
there
were
no
resources
for
proper
orthopaedic
equipment,”
Harrise
said.
He
described
the
situation
as
a
reflection
on
the
corporate
sector’s
failure
to
provide
adequate
support.
“It’s
certainly
a
bad
reflection
on
us,
the
corporate
community,
because
we
can
and
should
be
doing
more,”
he
added.
Harrise
said
that
while
the
donation
may
appear
modest,
it
has
the
potential
to
make
a
meaningful
difference
to
patient
care.
“We
believe
that
this
small
gesture
will
go
a
long
way
in
easing
the
stress
and
pain
endured
by
patients,”
he
said.
He
also
pointed
out
that
Mpilo
serves
a
wider
region
beyond
Bulawayo.
“The
hospital’s
catchment
area
is
not
limited
to
Bulawayo,
it
includes
Matabeleland
and
even
the
Midlands,
as
patients
travel
from
far
afield
to
access
services
here,”
he
noted.
Harrise
linked
the
donation
to
Nedbank’s
wider
involvement
in
sport,
explaining
that
many
sports
injuries
are
orthopaedic
in
nature.
“Nedbank
has
a
strong
presence
in
sports
such
as
rugby,
netball
and
cycling.
Injuries
in
these
disciplines
often
affect
the
limbs,
so
this
donation
is
also
aligned
with
our
interest
in
supporting
athletes’
recovery
in
the
future,”
he
said.
He
concluded
by
reaffirming
the
bank’s
commitment
to
supporting
public
healthcare
institutions.
“We
are
here
to
extend
our
gratitude
and
to
offer
this
small
but
meaningful
contribution,”
he
said.
Mpilo
Central
Hospital’s
Chief
Medical
Officer,
Dr
Narcisius
Dzvanga,
welcomed
the
donation,
saying
it
would
help
ease
the
hospital’s
operational
challenges
amid
economic
hardship.
“We
have
fallen
on
hard
times
as
a
country
and
as
a
hospital.
It’s
not
that
we
don’t
know
what
good
equipment
looks
like,
it’s
that
the
pockets
are
shallow,”
Dzvanga
said.
He
spoke
of
the
constant
challenge
of
balancing
patient
needs
against
limited
resources.
“With
just
one
dollar,
we
must
decide
how
best
to
use
it.
Patients
want
blankets,
food,
medication
many
things
and
we
must
carefully
balance
these
needs,”
he
explained.
Dr
Dzvanga
praised
hospital
staff
for
keeping
the
institution
running
despite
difficult
conditions.
“We
should
be
counted
among
miracle
workers.
Keeping
a
large
hospital
running
with
almost
nothing
is
like
driving
a
car
without
fuel
and
still
arriving
in
Harare
whether
pushed
or
pulled,
you
still
get
there.
That’s
how
we
operate
here,”
he
said.
He
explained
that
the
hospital
had
approached
various
companies
for
support.
“We
reached
out
to
20
or
30
companies
we
thought
might
understand
our
plight.
Only
Nedbank
responded,”
he
revealed.
Dr
Dzvanga
stressed
the
importance
of
transparency
when
working
with
corporate
donors.
“We
never
dictate
what
companies
should
give.
They
tell
us
what
they
can
afford,
and
we
plan
around
that,”
he
said.
He
added
that
the
hospital
discourages
direct
cash
donations
to
avoid
misuse.
“We
always
advise:
don’t
give
us
money.
Once
it’s
in
the
coffers,
it
gets
spent
on
fuel,
bolts,
polish
or
vegetables
and
suddenly
there’s
nothing
visible
to
show
for
it.
People
rightly
ask:
what
happened
to
the
money?
But
the
answer
isn’t
clear,”
Dzvanga
said.
He
encouraged
other
companies
to
consider
in-kind
donations
tailored
to
what
they
can
afford.
“We
simply
ask
companies
to
tell
us
their
budget,
and
we’ll
suggest
what
can
be
done
within
that
amount,”
he
said.