SUNGURA musician Tatenda Pinjisi died a painful death at the weekend at one of the government’s biggest referral hospitals —Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare.
A video circulating on social media of him lying in a hospital bed asking for painkillers is enough to bring tears to anyone who watches it.
There were no lights in the room he was in, with healthcare workers having to rely on cellphone torches.
There were no painkillers.
In the video, Pinjisi could be heard asking for Pain-Eeze, a local painkiller meant for moderate pain.
This was a man with broken bones who died in excruciating pain.
What was needed was a dose of a strong painkiller, but because our public hospitals are in a sorry state, he could not access such.
We have long said that the government needs to equip our health sector and set aside enough money to support our hospitals and clinics.
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It makes sad reading that such a huge hospital as Sally Mugabe Central Hospital does not have live-saving drugs and machinery.
Imagine this was a popular musician being exposed to rank wickedness by the country’s leaders, what more of the common person who has no one to report to and has no way of telling his story to the world.
How many unknown Tatenda Pinjisis are in a similar predicament at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, at Gweru Provincial Hospital, at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, at Mpilo Central Hospital or United Bulawayo Hospitals?
Who do they tell what they are going through?
Who will make the first move to right what is wrong while the authorities are busy burning midnight oil plotting to consolidate power and extend their tenure? Do the authorities care?
Do they even listen to the cries of the millions of Zimbabweans who want better healthcare?
Or they are obsessed with being heavy-handed on those who express such concerns, as happened with university lecturers who were recently arrested for protesting the low salaries they are being paid?
No one deserves to die the way Pinjisi did when he managed to get to a central hospital alive.
As freelance journalist Hopewell Chin’ono wrote: “But in Zimbabwe, you die because there is nothing in the public hospitals, absolutely nothing.
“Tatenda should not have died, but he died because of (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa’s corrupt rule, which loots public funds meant for hospitals.”
Pinjisi found himself in that situation after having been involved in an accident in Norton while on his way to Kadoma for a show.
Nearly two year ago, it was Afro-pop artiste Gary Mapanzure who found himself in a similar predicament.
He was involved in an accident in Masvingo and battled for his life without proper care at Masvingo Provincial Hospital, an institution owned and run by the government.
“The healthcare system in Zimbabwe failed Garry,” Kudzai Mapanzure Chikwanha, Mapanzure’s sister, said while speaking at his funeral.
“I want to say it because they may hear us; maybe Garry would have been alive today.
“And maybe some other family won’t have to go through the pain we are going through.”
Mapanzure endured pain from his injuries for 12 hours while the family was being told that there was no computed tomography (CT) scan used by healthcare workers to detect injuries.
The healthcare workers could not transfer him to Harare as there was no ambulance with oxygen support or air ambulance.
“He held on for 12 hours, but there was nothing in Masvingo,” his sister continued.
“To me, it just means that if anyone has a serious accident in Masvingo, it is a death trap, you are dead. You are as good as dead.”
Mapanzure’s sister had hope back then that maybe if she spoke out, the authorities would hear her, alas, another artiste has died because those in charge have done nothing to rectify the anomaly.
How many artistes should die because of a dysfunctional system?
How many other prominent people should also lose their lives this way?
What about those who are less influential in society, will they ever be assisted in their times of need?
