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Bulawayo Women of Courage presented sanitary pads and soap worth more than $400 to Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo. In this picture Mrs Sinikiwe Dube Mutsure hands over the donation to Matron Sithabisiwe Nhlabano-Ndlovu while other members of staff look on.— (Picture by Nyaradzo Bakari)

Nyaradzo Bakari, Chronicle Reporter
INGUTSHENI Central Hospital in Bulawayo continues to face acute food and medical shortages, an official has said.

In January, a scurvy outbreak hit the institution due to a poor diet.

The institution’s matron, Ms Vongai Chimbindi, said the institution needs help from well-wishers. Food, medicine and sanitary wear top the list of their requirements.

“As the Ingutsheni community, we lack a lot of things including food and sanitary wear due to the cash crisis,” said Ms Chimbindi yesterday as she received a donation of sanitary pads, soap and sugar worth more than $400 from the Bulawayo Women of Courage, a local charity organisation.

The Founder and leader of the organisation, Mrs Sinikiwe Dube-Mutsure, said the organisation’s main aim is to cater for women’s needs in the city.

“We care about women and the challenges they face. I assure you that we are not stopping here. You are not seeing the last of this organisation, more is yet to come,” said Mrs Dube-Mutsure.

The psychiatric hospital caters for about 2 000 patients and entirely depends on Government’s budgetary allocations, which have not been adequate over the years.

Hospital authorities have on several occasions appealed for donations from well-wishers to cater for the needs of patients at the institution.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa recently expressed concern over acute food and medicine shortages at Ingutsheni Central Hospital and said the government was struggling to provide for the increasing number of patients at the institution.

The troubles facing the institution have been compounded by some of the patients who have since made the hospital their permanent home for various reasons.

@NyarieBakie