Within Island’s comprehensive range of care (inclusive of mental, physical and spiritual pain management) delivered from a multi-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals, community home based care has become a strategic response to the growing need for palliative care. The current health situation in Zimbabwe requires community and need based approaches which are context- specific and sensitive to community expectations and day to day challenges within the community.
Island Hospice and Healthcare in Zimbabwe with support from OAK Foundation embarked on a project targeting vulnerable and special populations with the purpose of integrating them into the existing Chitungwiza Community Hospice Palliative Care Program. The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, National Aids Council (NAC), Chitungwiza Hospital, local authorities and leadership including community caregivers participated in mentorship, on-site training and creation of referral linkages to identify and serve marginalized members of the community through the diverse and wide range of services available within palliative care.
These are some of the stories of change from the program.
Case 1
Mrs Machona (not real name) is HIV positive and was bedridden at her time of registration into the Island project. Family members were worried about her condition and the way the condition was affecting her children. The Island team conducted a home visit to the patient’s home and counseled the patient and the family members including the primary care. The patient was commenced on ART and TB Treatment after testing positive. The primary caregiver was then targeted by the Island team and trained in palliative care together with other identified primary caregivers. Mrs Machona responded well to the treatment and her health greatly improved. She is no longer bedridden and is now running a garden for fruit trees and vegetable seedlings to sustain her family. She also joined cooperative programmes planning and her children are now going to school regularly. Mrs Machona has plans to buy a residential stand in the future, through her fundraising efforts. The children are all going to school. The husband, who was currently retrenched from his job, joined her in the project she is pursuing and they are doing well.
Case 2
Mr Lunga (not real name) was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the chest. His left side was affected by the cancer. He had approached several health institutions in Zimbabwe before he was referred to Island. The Island nurses managed the pain and symptoms that were troubling Mr Lunga and the Social workers counseled him and his family. At the time of registration, he was not going to work because of his illness and he had wounds which were discharging a foul smelling discharge. Mr Lunga is an accounts clerk by profession, at a company in Harare. When he was still going to work, workmates, friends and relatives were avoiding him because of the smell from his wounds. The medication provided by the Island nurses helped heal the wounds and the smell disappeared. Mr Lunga is back at work and he feels happy that he can now interact and relate well with his workmates, family and relatives without being discriminated.
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