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Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THE government is committed to establishing an HIV-positive-free generation as it keeps rolling out awareness and therapy programmes to help fight the virus, Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, said yesterday.

Speaking at the official opening of Tokwana Clinic in Bulilima District, Dr Parirenyatwa said the government was also building clinics close to the people so that they easily access ARVs and treatment.

The minister said the newly opened clinic played a crucial role in achieving the government’s goal of ensuring effective access to health services.

“As a policy, the government doesn’t want people to walk more than 10 kilometres before bumping into a clinic. The population here was in desperate need of a clinic. The introduction of this clinic now means people can access ARVs which could’ve been a challenge before and people will get tested here.

“A clinic is an important destination as common illnesses and other serious illnesses will be treated here. Tuberculosis and malaria will be treated here and children will get immunised. Pregnant mothers will also be treated at this clinic and they’ll be tested to avoid mother to child transmission. We want a new generation which is HIV-positive-free,” he said.

Dr Parirenyatwa urged community members to get tested for HIV at their nearest health institutions in order to reduce HIV related deaths.

He also urged health personnel to store ARVs in tightly secured places as robbers were stealing them and later selling them on the black market.

Dr Parirenyatwa urged communities to complement the government efforts by mobilising resources to build clinics in their areas.

He said in areas where villagers were travelling more than 10 kilometres to reach a health facility a clinic had to be built.

The minister implored workers in the country’s health institutions to maintain professionalism through improving their service delivery towards clients.

His comments come in the wake of years of complaints by members of the public on the harassment they receive at most government hospitals and council clinics.

Dr Parirenyatwa said the ministry required health personnel to be always courteous towards people.

‘’There’s a need to ensure that health institutions render quality services. We need the staff that work in our clinics to look after patients well as that’s what they were trained to do.

‘’You’ve to serve people with care as that’s the reason why you’ve been deployed to health institutions. Health personnel shouldn’t harass community members but they should work well with them,’’ he said.

The minister also appealed to community members to allow health personnel to spray their homes during the malaria prevention exercise.

He said doctors had to make constant visits to clinics to ensure that rural communities access quality health services.

The acting Provincial Medical Director for Matabeleland South province, Rudo Chikodzore, said the ministry would ensure all clinics in the province, including the new one, offer quality services.

Also speaking at the same event, Bulilima Rural District Council chief executive officer, John Brown Ncube, said community members mobilised some of the resources for the construction of the clinic.

‘’The process of building this clinic started in July 2013. Villagers were walking up to 15 kilometres in order to reach the nearest clinic.

‘‘The people of this community took it upon themselves to initiate this project to address the challenges they were facing. The community mobilised $9,376, the local authority contributed $15,500 and $50,876 was raised through the private public partnership,’’ said Ncube.

He said the Bulawayo and Plumtree rotary clubs had donated 25 boxes of surgical equipment towards the clinic.

Ncube said they had also pledged to hand over eight beds to the clinic.

He said a community member had donated an ambulance which was expected to be delivered in September.

Senator and Zanu-PF spokesperson, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo, urged community members to formulate development plans for their areas.

MP for Bulilima West, Cde Lungisani Nleya, said there was still need for more clinics to be built in the district as people were faced with a challenge of walking long distances to health institutions.

Tokwana Clinic opened its doors to its first patient on Thursday.