TM Pick n Pay on Thursday donated a consignment of 350 blankets to Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo to help patients cope with the severe winter weather.
The referral hospital has been struggling to meet the demand for services such as linen, food, and medications.
The supermarket also donated another 200 blankets to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) as part of its nationwide blanket drive to support government institutions, specifically hospitals.
General Manager of TM Pick n Pay Zimbabwe’s southern region, Simbarashe Nyika, said they have already supplied around 3 000 blankets to 12 institutions this year.
“On behalf of TM supermarkets, we hope to go a long way in serving the community that has always been supporting us in business. This is part of our social customer responsibility where we give back to our customers who come in and buy,” Nyika said, noting that the 350 blankets were meant for the general ward of the hospital.
“We are in winter and we know this is the time when blankets are needed. We saw it fit as an organisation to embark on our annual blanket drive so that we can always take care of our community.”
Nyika said last year TM Pick n Pay donated around 300 blankets to Mpilo.
“This year we have donated 550 blankets for the southern part of the country,” said the general manager.
Mpilo Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Narcisius Dzvanga welcomed the donation and said it was a timely intervention.
“Mpilo is the grandfather of all the hospitals in the southern region. We are challenged by the demand for hospital services such as linen, food and medicines. Donations like this don’t come easily,” he said.
Dr Dzvanga added it would have been “very” unlikely for the hospital to purchase quality blankets for its patients if it used its resources.
“The staff can agree with me that even when we decide to buy blankets, rarely do we buy this type of quality so we treasure this type of donation. It has come at the right time.”
“Winter has been very cold and most of us are moving around with our wardrobes on our bodies. Today is warmer because of these blankets that you have brought,” joked Dr Dzvanga.
“This is a special moment and we are delighted that a company like TM has found it appropriate to buy high-quality blankets for our patients.”
The CMO stated that the hospital could not have managed on its own and would accept any assistance from the corporate world.
“This donation has been happening for the last few years and previously donated blankets to the paediatrics ward. On behalf of the management and patient, we thank the ™ group of supermarkets for this generous donation and more so as they promised that they will continue to assist us as a hospital,” Dr Dzvanga said.
“Mpilo is one of the biggest hospitals in the country. We need every helping hand. No gift or hand is too small or big for us. This donation shows appreciation for the services that we are providing despite the difficult circumstances. Keep up the good work, may God bless the hand that gives.”
Dr Dzvanga said public and private partnerships were necessary to ease the burden on the government.
“Our funds at the moment come erratically and sometimes we have to share a small cake between various departments such as food catering, radiology, transport, the pharmacy and so forth. Sometimes the cake is too small to share so when we get help from the corporate world like this, it means resources can now be directed to other critical areas which would have been deprived of the same if we were to share the small cake,” said the CMO.
“If there’s anyone out there who is willing to help not just Mpilo but all the hospitals in Bulawayo you are most welcome on any day at any time we are never too busy to receive donations that benefit our patients.”
