By Linda Lorraine Mafu
Whenever Thandolwenkosi Ndlovu (31) thinks of her routine monthly check-up at a local clinic, she gets stressed.
It is a feeling she has had to endure for over five months.
But, her condition requires she follows the routine nonetheless.
“I can’t wait to deliver; I am really tired of walking that distance to and from Nketa 7 for my pregnancy check-ups.
“There is no clinic in Mbundane Suburb, which forces us to seek medical services at Nketa 7 Clinic. I think it is more than 7km from where I stay,” said Thandolwenkosi.
While the city of Bulawayo continues to grow, with new suburbs being set up, it is a different story with social amenities.
Thandolwenkosi, an expecting mother, now 7 months pregnant, resides in Mbundane Suburb, on the outskirts of Emganwini. Because of the lack of a clinic in her suburb, she is forced to travel to Nketa 7 for her checkups.
She says as pregnant women in the suburb, they have been hard-hit by lack of a clinic.
“Mbundane is fast growing. What is sad is that we are not given health facilities to cater for our needs.
“So our last resort at the moment is Nketa 7 Clinic. Apart from the fact that it is far, the treatment we get from the staff there is painful. It’s as though we have committed a sin by getting pregnant. They just don’t care,” she said.
She said their efforts of lobbying for a clinic in Mbundane have been unsuccessful because of “bickering between the City of Bulawayo and Umguza council”.
“We are told we are under Umguza and that they are yet to formalize the integration into the City of Bulawayo. This is our dilemma,” she said.
Thandolwenkosi added that responsible authorities should at least avail a mobile clinic to cater for their needs.
This article was produced under CITE’s We The Future project. The We The Future project seeks to increase the participation of young women in local and national governance processes through capacity building on digital skills.
