2022 CURE Children's Hospital of Zimbabwe Annual Report

CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe

2022 Annual Report

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CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF ZIMBABWE

PURPOSE

CURE provides world-class surgical care to the world’s most vulnerable children for the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel.

VISION

A world where children living with disabilities reach their full potential through God’s hope and healing.

MISSION

To heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God. — Luke 9:2

Tatenda poses for the camera before corrective surgery for her clubfoot condition.

CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe

The numbers and statistics cited throughout this report reflect CURE’s Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), which ran from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.

A LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jonathan Simpson

When I think about God’s tender care for the most vulnerable, I think of two-year-old Nathaniel, who came to CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe (CURE Zimbabwe) in January 2022, needing surgical care. Nathaniel was born with dislocated knees, hips, and bilateral clubfoot. Six months later, he could stand up straight on both legs!

My heart gives praise to God, knowing that Nathaniel’s healing would not have been possible two years prior because there was not a single paediatric orthopaedic surgeon in Zimbabwe at that time.

Building, opening, and staffing CURE Zimbabwe during the pandemic was nothing short of a miracle. It meant going from a busy construction site to a beautiful, vibrant facility humming with hope and joy. It meant encountering something new almost every day. It meant taking great care to lay a solid foundation for a new future.

CURE Zimbabwe now stands as a beacon of hope and healing for children with disabilities. It is an amazing display of God’s grace. In 2021, we made a Godhonoring decision to undergo SafeCare accreditation, a stamp of recognition for healthcare facilities that demonstrate continuous quality improvement in patient safety, access to healthcare, and operational excellence. I am so proud of the hard work of every single staff person, which put CURE Zimbabwe at the top 0.5% among 2,600 assessed facilities in sub-Saharan Africa (public and private).

On top of providing surgeries and rehabilitation to children, every day we focus on two other areas: We work with the Ministry of Health and Childcare to help build and strengthen the orthopaedic capacity of the country. We do this by hosting lectures and specialised training events for surgeons and medical professionals. And just as important, we proclaim God’s heart for the afflicted and change society’s understanding of disability. We do this by working with churches in equipping community leaders through our Theology of Disability training.

I am excited about the great things the Lord has in store for CURE Zimbabwe. Just the other day, I was driving in town and saw a child and his mom walking together. The little boy was wearing a CURE t-shirt, the type we only give to patients upon discharge. Immense joy and pride filled my heart as my eyes watched the perfect billboard for CURE. It wasn’t the t-shirt; it was the child – valued, healed, confident.

Truly, the Lord who heals and restores makes everything new and beautiful in His time.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Simpson Executive Director

OVERVIEW FISCAL YEAR 2022

Davao

City PHILIPPINES Niamey

OUR NETWORK

Bulawayo

ZIMBABWE

Harare

6 | Annual Report 2022

COMMITTED TO TRAINING

Improving Children’s Access to Quality Healthcare

Providing and facilitating training for medical professionals is an important focus area for CURE Zimbabwe’s specialized surgeons. Training national doctors and medical professionals is a foundational pillar of CURE’s work because it is key to improving children’s access to quality healthcare in a sustainable way that extends beyond the hospital’s walls.

Before opening in May 2021, specialised paediatric orthopaedic surgery was not an option for any child in Zimbabwe. Now that it has become available, children from

all over the country are being admitted. In addition, CURE Zimbabwe has committed to training doctors and nurses in the region who are pursuing a career in orthopaedics.

During FY 2022, CURE Zimbabwe facilitated 30 training events attended by 752 nurses and residents studying various specialties: fibrous dysplasia, HIV in orthopaedics, thoracic burst fractures, and elbow fracture dislocations. In addition, Dr. Rick Gardner and Dr. Tongai Chitsamatanga (paediatric orthopaedic surgeons) and Dr. Collen Msasanure (Doctor in Charge) facilitated training in paediatric orthopaedics at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).

Resident doctors at UBH who attended the lectures and training expressed high regard for the program’s practicality. Many of them often deal with trauma patients but have had little exposure to orthopaedic cases.

They were grateful that CURE Zimbabwe gave them practical training in their hometown.

Dr. Eliot Chikati, a resident who spent time at the hospital and is the president of the Young Surgeons Association in Zimbabwe, said:

“I assisted Dr. Gardner on the Langenskiold procedure where you correct a patella dislocation. It was a marvel. I then decided to take up the case and presented it to the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe. Everyone was elated—it was the first time to be presented at this platform in Zimbabwe.”

As the need grows for paediatric orthopaedics in Zimbabwe, so does the interest among healthcare practitioners. CURE Zimbabwe is invested in serving the most vulnerable children in Zimbabwe and strengthening the country’s healthcare system.

WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH SEASONED SURGEONS, YOU LEARN SO MUCH FROM BEING UNDER THEIR WINGS.

Resident Dr. Eliot Chikati (L) learning how to perform procedures in paediatric orthopaedics from Dr. Tongai Chitsamatanga (R).

EXCELLENCE FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE

Panenyasha’s Story

Panenyasha, now six years old, started walking at ten months like many children. And like any parent, her mother Tamary was overjoyed. She could picture her daughter growing up healthy, doing well at school, and achieving her dreams in life.

However, when Panenyasha was two years old, she started showing symptoms of a condition later diagnosed as hypophosphatemic rickets, related to low levels of phosphate in the blood. It causes the bones to warp, bend, and break more easily.

As months went by, it became more and more difficult for Panenyasha to walk. The bones in her legs were getting weaker and softer, causing her legs to bend and twist out of shape. With no time to waste, Tamary took Panenyasha to a hospital in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, where her condition was diagnosed.

“The doctors kept running tests on her and asked us to find medication to make her bones stronger,” Tamary said. “It couldn’t be found in Zimbabwe, so I paid a man to bring us the medication from South Africa, but he never returned with the medication or the money!”

Six-year-old Panenyasha before surgery

The doctors told Tamary that without the medication, Panenyasha would use a wheelchair for the rest of her life. But just when Tamary was about to lose hope, another doctor advised her to make an appointment at CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe (CURE Zimbabwe).

Tamary met with Dr. Rick Gardner, a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at CURE Zimbabwe, in November 2021. Dr. Rick discussed with Tamary a treatment plan starting with phosphate and vitamin D to strengthen and prepare Panenyasha’s bones for corrective surgery.

“Before I came to CURE Zimbabwe, I never thought Panenyasha could walk again, but now I believe she can be cured!” Tamary said.

Panenyasha spent the weekend in the ICU room with a team of expert doctors at her bedside around the clock, including a paediatric cardiologist, anesthetist, and paediatrician. Also, CURE Zimbabwe’s ministry staff prayed for Panenyasha’s recovery and Tamary’s strength as she kept watch over her daughter immediately after the surgery.

“Panenyasha is a very special little girl. Children like her are the very reason for CURE Zimbabwe,” said Dr. Rick. Her mother Tamary shared, “We thank God, Panenyasha is walking much better now!”

Every year, CURE provides life-changing surgeries to thousands of vulnerable children like Panenyasha because of the generosity and faithful support of CURE partners and friends.

The answer to Tamary’s cry for help came on June 23, 2022. Before the complex surgery, Dr. Collen Msasanure, Doctor-in-Charge at CURE Zimbabwe, led the team in prayer. Then, he and Dr. Rick got to work straightening Panenyasha’s left thigh bone, after which they inserted a rod into the middle section of the bone to keep it in the proper position as it heals.

SURELY GOD IS IN THIS PLACE. HE SAW OUR NEED AND HEARD OUR CRY, AND NOW MY CHILD CAN GET THE TREATMENT SHE NEEDS.” — TAMARY

Spiritual Director Grace Mangwende takes time to pray with Panenyasha and her mother Tamary as Panenyasha recovers from a corrective surgery.

PARTNERSHIPS

CURE Zimbabwe staff gathered in front of the hospital

JOIN US

All medical care is provided through the generous contributions of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care, CURE donors, and our non-profit partners.

Children are treated by our clinical team without charge or debt created.

Please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring a child’s surgery.

Address Old Esigodini Rd and Kenwood Rd Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Hospital Phone +263-8677192320

Website

cure.org/zimbabwe

Email zw.info@cureinternational.org

Socials @curezimbabwe

facebook.com/curezimbabwe