Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
NEWS of the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa's hard work through her Angel of Hope Foundation (AoHF), unprecedented in the history of the country, continues to reach far and wide and is getting international acclaim.
Among many other areas of her philanthropic work, Amai Mnangagwa, who is the country's Health and Child Care Ambassador, works hard to ensure there is affordable and quality healthcare for everyone.
She believes access to healthcare services, especially for women and children is critical, hence, ensuring their well-being is her main goal.
It is within Amai Mnangagwa's nature that when she focuses on a task, it must be done.
The Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences Ltd (KIMS) hospitals, one of the largest corporate healthcare groups in India, has been following the First Lady's work that is benefiting the elderly, youths, women, girls and people with disabilities, among others.
The group, which offers a comprehensive bouquet of healthcare services in specialities and super specialities across more than 25 fields, sent a delegation of doctors led by Dr Rakesh Jalla, the vice president of KIMS international business, which paid a courtesy call on the First Lady at her offices in Harare yesterday.
The delegation expressed the hospital's keen interest to partner the AoHF in the health sector and complement Dr Mnangagwa's work.
Dr Jalla said the First Lady was an inspiration through her sterling work in various areas mainly the health sector.
In the areas of collaboration with the AoHF, Dr Jalla proposed comprehensive campaigns targeting women and children with a particular emphasis on combating women cancers and addressing paediatric congenital problems and the provision of specialist expertise from KIMS hospitals to conduct regular medical camps.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa listens attentively during her meeting with Indian doctors at Zimbabwe House yesterday
He said they would be providing training opportunities in India for doctors, paramedics and nurses from Zimbabwe in the field of women and children's health.
"We met Her Excellency, the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa and we had a lengthy discussion on healthcare, particularly focusing on women and children. She is the mother of the nation who has the women and children at heart.
"So as we were in the meeting we got to know that she has already built a Mother and Child hospital through her AoHF. She invited us to tour the hospital. During the tour, we actually saw possible areas of collaboration. The facility is very good and we applaud the First Lady.
"We are looking at commencing operations soon. We will bring our Indian doctors to work with the local doctors. We will definitely make this hospital a wonderful hospital for mother and child care in Zimbabwe. Our doctors will be visiting regularly and training of local doctors will be free of charge. In partnership with the AoHF, we pledge to offer advanced medical treatment to women and child patients facing complex health issues," he said.
He added: "On behalf of KIMS Hospitals Group, it is a great honor and enthusiasm that we extend this proposal to collaborate with the AoHF in your noble mission to provide healthcare access, social services, education and economic empowerment initiatives, particularly focusing on women, youth and children in Zimbabwe," he said.
Amai Mnangagwa welcomed the proposal for the KIMS group of hospitals to collaborate with her foundation.
She also took the doctors on a tour of the Mother and Child state-of-the-art hospital which she is constructing in Harare through her foundation and nearing completion.
It will open its doors soon.
"As I go around the country during my medical outreach programmes, I have seen there are a lot of illnesses and most of them are affecting women and children. This prompted me to construct a Mother and Child hospital through my foundation which structure is now complete. We also have other Government referral hospitals that I work with through the Ministry of Health and Child Care as the Health Ambassador. We really welcome your services so that it benefits women and children," she said.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa shows the visiting Indian doctors the state of the art mother and child hospital she is constructing through her Angel of Hope Foundation in Harare yesterday
Amai Mnangagwa also spoke about how she takes her mobile hospital and mobile clinic to the people to access free health checks and cancer screening.
"The cancer screening exercise is ongoing because cancer is a deadly disease but once diagnosed early, it can be cured. We are amongst other countries with a high rate of cancer cases and we need to advocate and continue screening until everyone can have access to any nearby health facility for check-up. Your coming in will help strengthen my programmes and health wise being able to treat patients and avoid the spreading of ailments. I welcome you all to partner with the AoHF," she said.
Mrs Tendai Chatikobo who accompanied the delegation said she came to know of KIMS group of hospitals when she took her son there for a heart surgery.
She said when the hospital staff came to know she was from Zimbabwe, they were keen to know more about the First Lady and her AoHF saying they followed her work with admiration.
"I am the mother of a 5-year-old boy called Tasimba who was assisted by the Government of Zimbabwe to get assistance in India in the form of a heart surgery," she said.
She added; "Upon arriving in India, I realised that our First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is actually known all over India and every hospital for the great work she is doing to maximise chances of survival for children and the work she is doing for mothers as well especially in the health sector. Each hospital I visited, they would ask about her."
He said KIMS group of hospitals then expressed willingness to meet the First Lady and work with her complementing her efforts.
"This brought about this collaboration and investment in Zimbabwe that are about to take place. KIMS hospital then expressed interest in wanting to come to Zimbabwe to complement the work that the First Lady is doing by providing good health care for every mother and child in the nation. We are actually very excited as women because Amai is constructing a hospital for all mothers and children meaning that some of us will no longer have to travel as far as India and will be able to look after our children in good health right here in our lovely country Zimbabwe," she said.
Mrs Sibonokuhle Buhlungu, a women empowerment activist, hailed the mother of the nation for her sterling work in transforming the lives of women and children.
She said the initiative by KIMS hospital was in line with the President's call that Zimbabwe is open for investment.
"As a woman, I am so excited about this initiative which actually brings India back home through the AoHF being spearheaded by Her Excellency Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa. We are excited as the women of Zimbabwe both in rural and urban communities because Amai touches all corners. The partnership between AoHF and KIMS hospital will bring treatment to the people, hope and smiles to the general women and children of Zimbabwe. This is quite an exciting initiative given that when we hear our President talk about Zimbabwe being open for investment you think it is on paper, today we witnessed the doctors from India practicalising the President's statement by them offering to invest in our country thus improving our health care system. On behalf of all the women in Zimbabwe, we want to applaud the great work that our First Lady, Amai Mnangagwa is doing," she said.
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She described Dr Mnangagwa as the epitome of the Grace of God and the love of God.
"Her compassion for the wellbeing of women and children is amazing. Her selflessness to help the women of Zimbabwe is beyond what words can express. We want to thank and appreciate her for the sacrifices and for coming up with a foundation that has the most amazing name Angel of Hope, hope to the women of Zimbabwe, hope to the girl child. We thank you Mhamha Auxillia Mnangagwa and continue being a selfless woman.
May you continue standing in the gap on behalf of women," she said.
It is not the first time that Dr Mnangagwa's efforts in healthcare delivery are being noticed internationally.
The mother of the nation recently received a state-of-the-art mobile hospital from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, which she is using across the country especially in the detection of breast and cervical cancer among other ailments.
She was also conferred with honorary doctorates awards by various countries.
