A sorry trail of wreaked lives

20 Jan, 2019 - 00:01 0 Views

The Sunday Mail

Sunday Mail Reporters

Most communities are still trying to pick up the pieces — literally — from last week’s orgy of gratuitous violence, which left an extensive trail of destruction to life, limb and property.

For many, life will inexorably move on, but not for Eunice Manukwani. The 28-year-old mother of two – who suffered second-degree burns when she unfortunately fell into a bonfire after an epileptic seizure during an all-night vigil at her church in Zengeza, Chitungwiza, last year – has had to have her wounds dressed daily at St Mary’s Clinic.

As has become her daily routine, Manukwani, who was oblivious of the stay away, made her way to the clinic on Monday, but only after the marauding rioters had beaten her to it. She literally found the barbarians at the gate, and she was turned away.

Fearing for her life, she obligingly beat a hasty retreat.

Her wounds were to remain undressed for the following three days.

“I got to the clinic only to be greeted by angry protestors who forced me back home without being attended to. In fact, they had shut the gate so no one could get inside,” narrated Hamukwani.

Unfortunately, her wounds resultantly festered.

“One of my relatives offered to buy some medication so that I could dress myself even at home, but, unfortunately, even the pharmacies were shut.

“For three days I could not get medication; come Thursday, I was told that I needed to be readmitted because my wounds had an infection,” she said.

It is exactly the same script for 37-year-old Eric Mudarikwa, who has been on Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) for the past four years.

In that period, he has never defaulted on his medication.

But again this all changed on Monday.

Chitungwiza Hospital, where he gets his monthly dosage of ARVs, was forcibly shut down by a group of ungovernable hoodlums who also turned away desperate patients.

From Monday to Wednesday, Mudarikwa defaulted on his medication and is now unsure of what will happen to him.

“I defaulted for three days for the first time since I started ART, which makes me afraid because I have seen many suffer side effects of defaulting.

“Right now I have a mild cough. I am not sure if it is a result of missing medication or not, but I pray that it is not.

“My biggest fear is also that I could have created a window for some opportunistic infections.

“I am the breadwinner and if I fall ill, what will happen to my wife and three children?” he quizzed.

Medical practitioner, Dr Justin Dambaza said defaulting on ARVs can come at a huge cost for patients as it can have life-threatening consequences.

He said: “When we prescribe medication for a patient, usually we opt for the cheapest effective meds (medicines) for the condition.

“If one then defaults, it comes with complications and often becomes costly because we have to either change the medication or sometimes it becomes serious to an extent that one needs to be amputated.

“In cases of ART, it depends on how fast one reacts and at what stage one is: if they are in the last line, it is very serious because there will not be any solution.”

But it is generally feared that last week’s acts of barbarism, which were brazenly carried out in the full glare of innocent children, could have grave societal consequences.

Psychologists opine that children between the ages of one and 13 are likely to be affected by disturbing acts of violence they get exposed to.

Tanyaradzwa Moyo (not real name), a Grade Three learner at one of the primary schools in Glen View, said he still cannot forget the haunting images he saw last week.

Takaona ma teacher edu achirohwa nevarume vanga vachiimba (We saw our teachers being assaulted by a group of singing protesters).

“Teacher vedu vadonhedzerwa pasi vakatanga kubhutsurwa takatarisa, mamwe ma teacher kubva vamhanya kuno jamba durawall (Our teacher brutally assaulted while we watched while others fled and jumped over the pre-cast school wall).

Ana madam vakatanga kutiza, isusu nevamwe tikatanga kuchema kubva zvanzi kurumidzai kubuda neka gate kadiki because rihombe ranga ravharwa (There was confusion as female teachers fled and pupils crying. We were then ordered to vacate school premises through the smaller gate because the usual one was already shut).”

Some school heads who talked to The Sunday Mail last week said learners will have to take extra lessons and parents will also have to weigh in inorder to help make up for the lost time.

Exposing kids to violence, they also added, was likely to have a negative impact on society in the medium to long term.

 

Share This:

Survey


We value your opinion! Take a moment to complete our survey

This will close in 20 seconds