Introduction

Jesus established his Church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ- healing.  He taught his followers that his religion had a divine principle, which would cast out error and heal both the sick and the sinning.  Our Mission as a Diocese is to preach, teach and heal.

 

Daramombe Clinic

• One Registered General Nurse with Diploma in Psychiatry and a Diploma in Midwifery

.• One Primary Care Nurse

• Two Nurse Aides

• One Relief Primary Care Nurse

• One Primary Counsellor

 

Infrastructure
The Clinic has a bed capacity of 22
It has an outpatient, female ward, male ward, children’s ward, a maternity wing and a house at box level.
The Clinic offers services to both the community and school children and members of staff. It caters for both people from Chikomba and Buhera District as it is at the boundary of the two, but in Chikomba District. It is open anytime especially for boarders and emergencies.

Services Provided

• Preventive and curative services

• Immunisation

• Growth monitoring

• HIV testing and counselling services

• 01/ART Services

• Maternity services

• Administrative services

• Ordering of drugs and other provisions

• The Clinic subscribes to ZACH and Zimbabwe Health Professions Authority.The Clinic has a good working relationship with all other departments in the Mission because for one to be successful one has to be healthy.

 

HIV/AIDS Programme
Most HIV positive people are on antiretroviral drugs and are responding well to treatment such that there are no bed ridden people. The Caregivers trained by the Anglican Diocese of Masvingo now offer physiological support in support groups where beneficiaries meet and share life experiences. There is a nutrition garden fenced by the Diocese.

Drug situation
The Clinic like other health centres is facing shortage of some essential drugs. As a Mission Institution we should offer quality services such that people would prefer services at the clinic as what happens with other Mission Hospitals for they go an extra mile complimenting government efforts in sourcing drugs and other provisions. The Clinic is appealing for help regarding value addition.

Achievements:

• Tiling of main Clinic

• No more home deliveries and no more pregnant mothers in labour travelling during the night as they come to stay at the maternity home from the 38th week of gestation until 3 days post-delivery.

• Less bedridden people in the community as people are offered HIV testing and counselling services early and HIV positive are put on antiretroviral drugs.

• Adequate furniture

• Adequate linen

 

Challenges
1.Ambulance Services
It is most difficult to transfer emergencies especially complicated maternity cases in labour as sometimes the ambulance at the general hospital is not always available. Patients are forced to look for alternative transport and they do not have the money to hire a vehicle. Nurses are sometimes confronted with life or death situations. There is need for an ambulance at the Mission.

2.Maternity Home
For plight of local community
Catchment area has grown
The risk of expectant mother and their babies losing their lives was reduced since the home started operating.
The home gives a conducive environment to expecting mothers.

3.Staff Shortage
The post of general hand is still not filled as posts are frozen. It is difficult in terms of the general maintenance of the Clinic grounds and there is no one to send for other Clinic errands.

4.Shortages of Drugs
Nurses end up writing prescriptions so that patients can buy drugs which are out of stock at the clinic. Some patients cannot afford to buy prescribed drugs only to return to the clinic as complicated cases. Drugs needed are as above.

 

Projects being undertaken

• Renovation of maternity home

• Constructing a pathway linking main Clinic and Maternity Home

• Completion of the house at box level

• Waste zone

 

St. Bernard Chimvuri Clinic

• The Clinic is awaiting an official opening. The Priest in Charge is working with the community to complete the nurse’s house.

 

Safety Health and Environment (SHE)
It is also the mandate of the health Board to meet current EMA regulations, SHE standards in homes and workplaces. However the Health Coordinator is working on SHE workshops. It is also the duty of the Health Board to monitor health issues at all Diocesan gatherings.

HIV/AIDS
From 2016 to 2018 we are going to implement HIV/ AIDS Stigma and Discrimination related programs in our Diocese. Workshops are being organised for clergy, school heads and other focal persons and these people will help disseminate information about HIV / AIDS related stigma and discrimination in their respective areas. We have engaged Boys to Men Forum Foundation (BOMEFF) and Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) to help us with the awareness campaigns.

We are going to engage 60 churches during the program 20 churches in 2016, 20 in 2017 and 20 in 2018. During the implementation of the HIV / AIDS related stigma and discrimination program in the Diocese we are going to be working with BOMEFF and Zimbabwe National Network of People living with HIV (ZNNP+) and other stake holders. We have also seen that it will be helpful to mainstream the topic in all church functions especially conferences. By doing this it will help spread the word to every person in the Diocese despite of one’s gender and age.
We will also have awareness campaigns on voluntary HIV testing and disclosure. Sporting events will be done as a way of improving interaction between people living with HIV and the general public.

During the campaign we will establish support groups and nutritional gardens or income generating projects for 4 fortunate groups per each year. Our other aim is to establish another VCT service centre especially at St Bernard’s Mission Chimvuri Clinic and this will help people in that area access testing and counselling services nearby. Refresher trainings and awareness campaigns will be done at the beginning of each year. Transfiguration Skills Training Centre will also be used to teach students about HIV / AIDS related stigma and discrimination.
We had an HIV prevention, treatment literacy and adherence workshop at the Cathedral of St Michael and All Angels from 22 to 23 October 2015. The workshop was facilitated by ZNNP+. The main objectives of the workshop were:

• To influence early treatment and increased uptake in ART services

• To influence early treatment and increased uptake in ART services

• To encourage medicine adherence and positive living among church congregants

• To increase knowledge of treatment

• To build on capacity of church membership to cascade correct and up to date information on treatment literacy

• To bridge existing knowledge gap in treatment narratives.