Staff Reporter
GWERU Provincial Hospital recently honoured long-serving workers who retired.
There was special mention of Never Madzike and Tendai Zhungu who served in the health sector for 49 and 47 years respectively.
Others included Chipochashe Chimbunde who served for 35 years, Sihle Ncube who served 15 years, Loveness Utseya who served 14 years, Amos Barbra 30 years and Timothy Mpofu who served 29 years.
Born in 1952, Madzike started serving the Health Ministry on July 1, 1975 at Parirenyatwa Hospital, formerly known as the Andrew Fleming Hospital as a general hand.
He said dedication, commitment and devotion had seen him work for 49 years in the health sector.
“I have worked in the theatre for all my years from the days I was at Parirenyatwa Hospital and then moved here to Gweru in 1985,” he said.
Madzike became popular among doctors at GPH for his dedication to duty.
He contemplated retiring in 2022, but the institution’s leaders had persuaded him to stay on until this year.
“If one is working in a health institution he or she should work passionately.
“I was a general hand who had a good relationship with doctors here, most of them called me to assist when they were setting up their surgeries.
“I would train their staff and let them work when they were well conversant with what needed to be done,” he said.
Madzike said he will miss the profession that nurtured him from the time he was a young man to the pensionable age he now has reached.
He was moved to the Critical Care Services Department last year where he was assigned light duties as he awaited his retirement.
He chuckled at how he has used identity documents written that he was born in 1962, when his true year of birth is 1952.
“My identity document says I am 62 years, yet I am 72,” he said.
Zhungu, who has served for 47 years was born in 1959.
“I came here at Gweru Hospital on November 23, 1977 as a general hand. I worked as a general hand for 25 years and became a nurse aid, where I served for 22 years,” he said.
Zhungu said serving at Gweru Provincial Hospital has been an exciting journey.
“Initially, I worked with the older generation and later on with the new generation after Zimbabwe gained independence.
“The two generations worked differently and I had to sometimes defy age so that I compete with the new generation,” Zhungu said.
Zhungu urged the young generation working in health institutions to have empathy.
“They must have love for both patients and workmates. They must love their work and demonstrate that they are well versed with it,” he said.
Zhungu said they must always have Christian values as that is where good morals are derived.
The retiring workers received an assortment of goods that included kitchen utensils, door frames, ploughs, solar systems, and garden implements.
Health Services Commission deputy chairperson Dr Rugare Abigail Kangwende applauded the retiring health workers for a distinguished service.
“We salute and honour you for the services that you have provided,” she said.
She said health workers work under very difficult conditions.
“They work odd hours, travel long distances sometimes during those dangerous hours of the day to and from work when public transport is scarce.
“Many have perished in the line of duty from occupational hazards, especially infectious diseases,” she said.
Dr Kangwende said many health workers continue to work in the public sector despite better salaries being offered in the private sector and other countries in the African region and beyond.
New Ziana
