Entembeni fails to provide food, medicines

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
ENTEMBENI Old People’s Home has hit hard times resulting in the institution failing to provide food and critical medical supplies for elderly inmates suffering from the chronic hypertension and diabetes.

The home, situated in Luveve suburb in Bulawayo, is also in dire need of blankets for the 48 inmates who are struggling to adhere to lockdown conditions due to a shortage of masks and sanitisers.

Their administrator Ms Naome Mhlanga said all inmates, 38 males and 10 females have hypertension and 10 of them have diabetes.

A survey conducted by the Chronicle recently showed that chronic patients are defaulting on essential medication as most pharmacies are demanding payment in foreign currency while those paying in local currency are made to pay more than even the prevailing black-market rate.

People with chronic illnesses are supposed to regularly take certain medication for a life time to reduce their risk of succumbing to the diseases and the situation is worse for the elderly at Entumbane who live off donations.

Speaking during a donation to the facility by Mthwakazi Queens, a UK based women’s organisation, Ms Mhlanga said she feared for the worst with the onset of winter.

“Our greatest challenge for now remains food and medication for our elders and we have been forced to sometimes go ask from public institutions when we run dry. Most of our inmates need HCT for hypertension (which costs US$1 in most pharmacies) and sometimes they default because of shortages,” she said.

According to Ms Mhlanga, Covid-19 has added to their misery as the elderly now need masks, sanitizers and other toiletries to practice high levels of hygiene.

“We also need firewood and gas for us to be able to cook their meals as we cannot afford to use electricity. With the onset of winter, they also need warm clothes and blankets as they do not have and we fear that failure to get these may expose them to respiratory diseases,” she said.

Miss Mitchel Mulingo from Mthwakazi Queens said it was important for residents to remember caring for the elderly at Entembeni despite financial challenges.

“We normally donate to the institution once a year but this time we realised that many would be donors are distressed due to the lockdown and we decided to bring them food. We believe in an empowered community and we call on well-wishers to remember our elderly even during this global pandemic,” said Ms Mulingo.

The organisation donated food and groceries to the home. -@thamamoe