Patient, family testify to good care at Parirenyatwa Hospital

Mukudzei Chingwere–Herald Reporter 

A PATIENT who recently had a successful delicate spine surgery at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has commended the hospital and its staff for the excellent service. 

Seventeen-year-old Delphine Makokowe, who was in urgent need of a corrective spinal procedure, was transferred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for the delicate procedure from Bonda Mission Hospital in Manicaland province, amid serious reservations from her family. 

The family’s reluctance emanated from bad publicity that the hospital has been subjected to by social media users who enjoy trashing everything vaguely connected to the State.

Unbeknown to the family, the hospital, as is the case with the country’s health services, has benefited from President Mnangagwa’s sustained push to improve health services in line with  Vision 2030. 

After undergoing a successful surgical procedure coupled with good patient care which surprised the family, Delphine’s mother, Mrs Mariana Benza, has now written a heartfelt letter expressing her gratitude.

“I would like to thank all the Pari staff members for the excellent care and treatment you gave my daughter Delphine Makokowe at Pari,” reads part of her letter to the hospital. 

Mrs Benza and Mr Kumbirai Makokowe, Delphine’s brother, were happy to be interviewed. 

“My daughter developed a growth on the back, it was on the spine, and we went to Bonda for medical attention, but after seeing the severity of her condition, they told us they were referring her to Parirenyatwa,” said Mrs Benza. 

“We have heard a lot of bad things about Parirenyatwa, so we pleaded with them to do whatever they could but not to refer us to Parirenyatwa. We tried but they insisted and we ended up travelling but it was against our wish. We thought she would not make it at Parirenyatwa.

“But on arrival at Parirenyatwa we were pleasantly surprised by the way we were received right from the security, through the hospital modalities up to the time she was admitted.

“She was successfully operated on and stayed in the hospital for three weeks. They discharged her for two weeks and when we came back she was admitted again for another two weeks because they wanted to closely monitor her.

“I want to thank everybody at Parirenyatwa, my daughter is recovering and her condition has greatly improved,” said Mrs Benza. 

Mr Makokowe, the brother to Delphine, also commended the hospital for a job well done, and the family also singled out one Dr Dzvova for special praise. 

“My sister is now in a much improved condition and we are optimistic she will go to school to finish her A-Level education after her recovery,” said Mr Makokowe.

“Now she is doing physio at Parirenyatwa so that she gets back to full fitness. But I want to thank the team at Parirenyatwa for a job well done and for the way they cared for my sister.

“To be honest we were sceptical. We did not want to go [to Parirenyatwa] because of what we hear about the hospital, especially from social media.

“But what we experienced and saw when we were there is at variance with what we hear. When we came we did not know anyone at the hospital, but we were treated well.

“We bought few things but a lot of the equipment and medicines needed for her operation and recovery were provided by the hospital. 

“May God bless our professional health personnel. We are grateful as a family, and may they keep up the good work,” said Mr Makokowe.