Medical Collaboration: Zambia and Zimbabwe
About
Mtshabezi Mission Hospital and Phumula Mission Hospital – both owned and operated by the Zimbabwean BIC Church – serve large rural areas, with the nearest district hospitals one to two hours away. Between the remote location of the mission hospitals and the government’s ability to relocate physicians, fully staffing the hospitals is difficult.
When no physician is available, many patients are denied immediate care and must be transferred to a distant district hospital. Sadly, delays in medical care can cause patients’ conditions to worsen and become potentially life-threatening.
Across the border, Zambia BIC’s Macha Mission Hospital is better staffed and has the ability to share medical professionals and resources. Funding from this project will help fill gaps in medical care throughout the region by facilitating staff and resource sharing between Zambian and Zimbabwean hospitals.
This creative collaboration will take several different forms:
- Extended Residencies –With proper registration, Zambian doctors and clinical officers from Macha can practice at Mtshabezi and Phumula Hospitals for extended periods of time when they are on leave. Additionally, Zambian medical professionals can work in Zimbabwe while waiting for open positions back home.
- Short Intensives – “Medical brigade” teams from Zambia can offer an intensive week of specialized care, such as specific surgical procedures, at one of the mission hospitals.
- District Physicians – Doctors from Zimbabwean district hospitals can visit the mission hospitals every one to two weeks, allowing patients with specific needs to be scheduled and seen that day.
By giving to the Medical Collaboration project, you will encourage the staff at Mtshabezi and Phumula Hospitals as they provide quality medical care in the name of Jesus.
