While Zimbabwe’s Healthcare System Collapses, A Hospital Serves As A Beacon
Near the border with Mozambique lies Mount Darwin, a rural community 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of the capital Harare. The countryside doesn’t have much besides agriculture, but it is known as home to one of the famous hospitals in the country.
Karanda Mission Hospital, operated by the Evangelical Church of Zimbabwe, has emerged as a beacon of hope in a country where the public healthcare system is collapsing due to underpaid personnel and chronic shortages of essential medication.
Tendai Chambati from Budiriro, a high-density suburb in the capital Harare, recalls her life-saving trip to the Karanda. She was diagnosed with a chronic illness, but when she went to the private hospitals, she could not afford the costs. Making the situation worse, the government-run health facilities could not properly treat her due to a lack of required medical resources.
READ: Faith Deserves Better News Coverage — And Here’s How You Can Help
“Government hospitals have been under-resourced for a long time, and in my case, I had to be referred from various specialists in private hospitals, an expensive route,” Chambati said. “Standing between the hard place and a rock, I was advised to go to Karanda, the trip which saved my life, affordable costs and high-standard healthcare.”
Over the years, Zimbabwe's public health system has collapsed due to corruption, lack of accountability, poor working conditions, and shortages of funds, medicine and equipment.
It is also experiencing a “brain drain”. Post-pandemic, the majority of Zimbabwean doctors, registered government nurses and nurse aids left the country in large numbers due to unfavourable working conditions and low pay amid uncontrollably high inflation, further depriving the nation of its most valuable resources.
With about 150 beds, the hospital serves over 75,000 patients and performs over 4,000 procedures annually. Its areas of expertise include treating chronic illnesses, HIV/AIDS, TB, obstetrics, and trauma care.
Nestled deep in the forests of Mashonaland Central, near the Mozambique border, Karanda draws patients from across Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries like Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana. Every day, there is high vehicle traffic flow in and out of the hospital, with friends and family who accompany patients waiting patiently inside small tents outside the hospital.
“The reason why more people end up staying in the tents is to be close to the relatives, it’s cost-effective than travelling back to their original homes and paying more as they come for visits,” said Charles Gurusa, a local elder of the Evangelical Church of Zimbabwe.
The African nation has many mission hospitals built by various churches. However, Karanda Mission Hospital stands out due to its successes in treating life-threatening illnesses and performing surgeries by a team of seasoned specialists.
In collaboration with the Evangelical Church of Zimbabwe, the mission was founded in 1961 to address the needs of clinics that were built alongside churches and schools. The hospital was first established to serve rural residents where the Evangelical Church of Zimbabwe was concentrating its efforts, but thousands of people from all over the nation have been drawn to it because of its reputation.
In Zimbabwe, subsistence farming is a common way of life for rural residents. Self-reliance and community work are crucial because many rural communities lack access to dependable infrastructure, such as electricity, clean water, and modern healthcare. However, the Karanda mission has provided a lifeline for individuals in Mount Darwin.
Under the direction of Medical Director Dr. Paul Thistle, a Canadian doctor married to a Zimbabwean who worked for years at the Salvation Army-run Howard Mission hospital in the same province, Karanda is managed by three international physicians. After reporting some misconduct, he temporarily left Howard Hospital and returned to Zimbabwe, where he joined the already well-known Karanda Mission Hospital.
In rural Zimbabwe, medical supplies can be difficult to obtain. However, Karanda Mission makes efforts to bring these numerous supplies for medical operations, including wound care and surgery, closer to the needy people. Ninety per cent of the hospital's medications are ordered from South Africa or India.
The cervical cancer screening project is available at the hospital under the Madiro initiative. When launched, Karanda Mission Hospital aimed to screen 2,500 women between the ages of 21 and 50 for cervical cancer as part of this project. The general public has been informed about the danger of cervical cancer and its potential repercussions, as well as where to get testing and treatment.
Thistle, who is in charge of the execution of Madiro's initiative, says, "This new project with Madiro is in a better position to revive early cervical cancer identification and treatment in the community following the end of COVID-19."
With a motto of “Serving God, Serving Others,” the hospital combines ministry and medicine. The on-site chapel provides daily devotions, Bible studies, and evangelistic outreach to patients, staff, and the local community. All day long, a Christian radio show is broadcast over the PA system, spreading Christian messages to both patients and their relatives.
“The main purpose is the word of God. We help the community and the nation with health and education services, but we keep our core values of preaching salvation at the centre of our work,” Gurusa said. “We want all to go to heaven, ultimately.”
Calvin Manika is an award-winning international journalist based in Zimbabwe.