Tendai Rupapa in BULAWAYO

It was a delightful moment for hundreds of health practitioners when Health Ambassador, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, officially opened the Second Bulawayo Breast Cancer Symposium where she implored people to undergo breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer checks to curb avoidable deaths.

It was also revealed during the symposium that Government continues to make strides in improving the country’s healthcare system, with notable progress in various sectors including infrastructure development, increased access to healthcare services, expansion of medical personnel and advancements in medical research and technology.

The three-day symposium, which brought together the who is who in the medical field and representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and representatives of the Association for Breast Surgery for Britain and Ireland (ABS), is being held under the theme: “Strengthening the pillars of breast cancer management.”

United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) has a working partnership with ABS, which is benefiting local nurses and doctors with training and knowledge transfer.

The First Lady took along her Angel of Hope Foundation’s ultra-modern and top-notch mammography mobile hospital and mobile clinic for the benefit of the people who were screened for breast, cervical and prostate cancer free of charge.

The mobile hospital also consists of an ultrasound scan, gynaecological machinery and a radiation machine.

Amai Mnangagwa also presided over the ground-breaking ceremony at the site where a breast cancer centre will be constructed and equipped under the partnership between UBH and ABS.

At United Bulawayo Hospital, the mother of the nation toured the fully-equipped Clinical Chemistry Lab where she was shown top-of-the-range equipment in the lab which the hospital received from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The machines included a chemistry machine analyser which is used in the diagnosis of diseases such as blood diabetes, heart, liver and kidney diseases.

There is also a bio-base immuno chemistry machine which detects cancer or hormonal disorders, and an Fbc machine which is used in diagnosing blood related diseases.

In the new lab, there is also chemiluminescence immunoassay, which is a technique used in immunology, a bio-based 5-part auto haematology analyser, bio-based automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay analyser, bio-base automatic and electrolyte analysers, bio-base fluorescence immunoassay, multimat molecular diagnostic testing system, nucleic acid amplification and detection analyser, bio-base immune fluorescence and negative 20 refrigerators.

The reference lab has more departments than those in the old laboratory.

It has histology and a blood bank hence the need for more staff to be further trained to minimise the need to also transfer patients elsewhere.

The First Lady held an interactive session with the community where she encouraged student nurses and learners in general to work hard in school and realise their dreams.

She shared that her childhood wish was to become a nurse, something that remains in her to the present day.

Dr Mnangagwa encouraged everyone to be checked for any ailment so that they know where they stand to pave way for early treatment to save life.

Talking to women queuing at the AoHF mammography mobile hospital and mobile clinic where they were being screened for breast and cervical cancer, the First Lady said; “Don’t go back home without being screened. Be screened for breast and cervical cancer. It’s not painful, and do not be afraid, value your health,” she said.

Officially opening the symposium, Dr Mnangagwa acknowledged that cancer was wreaking havoc across the globe hence the need for people to be diagnosed early so that they can be placed on treatment early to save life.

“I am keenly aware of the rising scourge of breast cancer all over the world. As your ambassador for health, I embrace every opportunity to interact with all stakeholders in matters which affect the health of the community.

“I feel greatly honoured to be part of this momentous event where strategies for alleviating the impact of breast cancer are being discussed. My office set out to engage the population in advocacy and awareness through the Angel of Hope Foundation in reaching out to all people in both rural and urban areas, with a message on lifestyle changes through holding fun days where both young and old people are encouraged to take care of their bodies through exercises and traditional sports. These activities were done countrywide,” she said.

Among other interventions, the First Lady highlighted that her campaigns had assisted thousands of people with breast and cervical cancer screening, HIV testing and counselling, blood pressure checks and all general wellness checks and other health promotion activities.

The Angel of Hope Foundation mobile clinic and mobile mammography hospital, Dr Mnangagwa said, offer cancer screening services for both breast and cervical cancer, HIV screenings.

“My foundation also managed to source a mobile mammography bus into the country and so far it has done thousands of breast cancer screenings.

“During these outreach services with the mobile health centres, we also pitched tents to allow more clients to be screened. Ladies and gentlemen, the twin evils of breast cancer and cervical cancer account for more than 50 percent of cancer-related deaths among women in our country.

“Integrated early detection efforts result in efficient use of resources and prevent late cancer presentations. The symposium might not have come at a more opportune moment as Zimbabwe has just been selected by the world health organisation afro regional office together with two other sub-Saharan African countries to spearhead the integration process for breast and cervical cancer screening.

“Remarkably, Zimbabwe’s widespread cancer screening by the visual inspection acetic acid (VIAC) method has saved the lives of many women. It is my wish that the network for breast cancer screening, for mammography and other techniques be as extensive as that of the VIAC clinics. We must endeavour to roll out stationary and mobile breast cancer screening services to all districts of the country,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa said she was delighted to note that the breast cancer symposium programme content was so rich and provided good building blocks for a comprehensive national breast cancer service.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the programme of breast cancer awareness and treatment needs to be addressed at all levels of the healthcare system from the community level through the rural clinic, the district and provincial hospitals, all the way to cotenary level care.

“Community health workers need to be trained and be deployed to spread breast cancer awareness messages as well as to teach women how to perform self-breast examination. It is desirable that all healthcare workers be trained in assessing breast conditions. Women’s lives depend on them. I am pleased the symposium has a parallel nurses programme to impart relevant skills to this special professional group that attends to patients even in the most remote locations of the country. Rather than sticking only to what they learnt in medical school, doctors should be challenged to continue updating their knowledge to keep abreast of current methods of diagnosing and managing breast cancer conditions,” she said.

The blending of local and international faculties in the symposium, the First Lady noted, demonstrates the power of networking.

“I am happy for the partnership that the UBH developed over the past years with the association of breast surgery of the United Kingdom. The partnership has now commendably attracted more stakeholders from other countries.

“Through these same networks, I look forward to the development of centres of excellence for training in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Such training centres could serve as rallying points for regional countries in the fight against the burden of breast cancer,” she said.

Addressing the community and medical staff from hospitals around Bulawayo, the mother of the nation had words of advice and encouragement to aspiring doctors and nurses.

“I want to say to the students, it’s a calling to be nurses and doctors. When at school, I often hear students being asked what they want to be when they finish school. Most of them talk of being doctors, nurses, pilots and everything else, but when it comes to the time not many go with it because of various reasons.

“Let me tell you that I wanted to become a nurse. As I see you in that uniform, my heart is full and I am wishing you the best. Because of the background, I couldn’t pursue it further.

“When you see me talking about health issues despite that I did not make it to become a nurse, it tells you that it was in me and is still in me. Though I am not in that position, I will continue to talk about it advocating awareness in our people.

“I say to you my children continue to work hard towards what you choose to be though there are so many issues that might come your way, but make sure you overcome them because today you are the few chosen ones. Us as your parents, your mothers and your fathers, we want to see you achieve the goal.

Amai Mnangagwa held an interaction session with the student nurses asking them why they became nurses and they gave different responses with some saying it was a calling.

“When going to school, value your education vanangu and not rush into relationships with men of all kinds. Musangonyura muvarume vese vese. Be focused. Vana mai zvekare let us be role models to our children. Let us live dignified lives kwete kunyura in extra marital affairs imi makaroorwa. Be careful, social media inokunyururai ikoko,” she said as she requested Killer T’s song “Kana ndanyura” much to the delight of the crowd which danced to the song joining her on the dance floor.

Youths were excited to note that the First Lady was in touch with the current trend as she showed them the dance routines of the song.

They were thrilled and burst into the song “Mhamha vedu tovaitireiko, tovabaira mombe”.

Amai Mnangagwa further encouraged people, including men, to constantly undergo health checks and eat healthy traditional food.

Through her Angel of Hope Foundation, Dr Mnangagwa donated diapers, wheat flour, disposable gloves and egg plates to Mpilo, UBH and Ingutsheni hospitals.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Timios Kwidini hailed the First Lady for attending the symposium.

“As the Ministry of Health and Childcare we are so happy that Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa came to this symposium. Being the mother of the nation and the ambassador for health, we know the passion you have for the whole nation’s health. We are particularly aware of the soft spot on your heart concerning women’s health. “Your Excellency, as a Ministry we shall diligently carry out our mandate in fighting cancers in general and specifically raise our efforts against breast cancer since we have now focused on it as much as had been the case with its evil twin, cervical cancer.

“We shall take up the challenge to strategise, plan and collaborate in a bid to minimise the burden of the disease and to bring down the number of avoidable deaths caused by breast cancers among our people,” he said.

Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube said; “Thank you for coming to celebrate this symposium with us. It is a time to learn, a time to interact, expand our networking and most importantly a time to share innovative ideas of developing our nation as we aspire to be an upper middle income economy by 2030.

“We are privileged and proud to have our caring mother gracing this occasion. Therefore, I would like to render a special greeting and welcome to you mhamha your Excellency.

“We are so grateful for giving us cover at the top. We indeed appreciate you as a champion for healthcare matters. I would also like to give a special welcome to the symposium focal team who hail from all over the world and Africa representing the World Health Organisation and the Association of Breast Surgery of the United Kingdom.

“Ladies and gentlemen we are here today to celebrate this important symposium. I am reliably informed that this partnership between United Bulawayo Hospitals here in Zimbabwe and the Association of Breast Surgery in the set up in 2019 and partnership has already impacted positively in our communities and implemented changes that will transform the experience of women and their families as they face one of the most worrying times in their lives.

“Senior frontline nurses and midwives have been selected and trained in breast diagnosis and breast ultrasound both here in Zimbabwe and in the UK,” she said.

Mr Dick Rainsbury, a surgeon at ABS said the breast cancer medical facility that is set to be constructed through the partnership between ABS and UBH, will come in handy in improving breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in the country.

“I am here with a group of my colleagues and there are 16 of us who have come here to have a two-day course and another day practical workshop at UBH. “We are in the middle of a project which is based in Matabeleland South Province and that’s been a very interesting procedure which started in 2020 just before the pandemic.

“What we did as a group is we went out during the pandemic to find out why people didn’t come forward when we had breast programmes. They tended not to want to come and look because they are frightened so we wanted to find out where the main bottlenecks were along the referral chain on the way to the hospital,” he said.

He said nurses from Zimbabwe were trained in the United Kingdom to diagnose breast cancer at high volume breast cancer camps and learnt about the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. –Herald