Operation Outstretched Hand: Medical Outreaches

On Friday the 15^th of May 2009 Celebration Health hit the city of Masvingo. They brought with them healing and a message of reformation. A team of 160 surgeons, anaesthetists, general practitioners, gynaecologists, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, evangelist, musicians and worshipers, arrived in Masvingo just after 6.00pm. The evangelistic and worship team, headed up a crusade at the Mamutse stadium, while the medical team visited Masvingo General Hospital to set up in preparation for their work there the next day. Mamutse was a hive of activity as adults and children alike, jumped and danced and worshipped with the band. The crowd was too big for the tent that had been set up.

 

From the early hours of Saturday morning the medical team saw to hundreds of patients who came walking, on stretchers, and in wheel chairs- no one was turned away. A career guidance team visited schools to minister to Sixth form students. Another team visited an orphanage and an old people’s home bringing food aid. At the second crusade on Saturday night, the tent was bursting at the seams. At one point it appeared that there were as many people outside the tent as were inside. Many gave their lives to Christ, and many were healed. There was an awesome time of worship, ending the service on a very high note.

Early Sunday morning, the medical team was back at the hospital. The sound, band and worship teams set up for the first Celebration Church Masvingo service, and what a good start it was! Over 87 adults and 150 children showed up. Almost all the adults gave their lives to Christ in response to the message Pastor Brian Zinatsa preached. Work at the hospital continued until early evening. Over 2000 prescriptions were written and filled, in less than 24 hours. 1500 people were treated, 18 operations and 150 dental procedures were performed. 1400 received Christ during the outreach and a church was planted!

  

Physiotherapists, 2 aides and 3 Pharmacists attended to 1 321 patients in a one- and- a- half- day medical outreach at Sakubva Outpatient Hospital on the 4^th & 5^th of July. Only half of the intended team made it to Mutare but they managed to see approximately the same number of patients as the Masvingo team, in the same amount of time.

Sakubva hospital is a major Opportunistic Infection referral centre. A triage system was implemented to allow the patients with the most need for medical attention, to be attended to. Small clinics were run for general maladies whilst the more serious cases went to specific doctors, according to their complaints. There were also three dispensing points in operation.   

Also part of the team was a health educationalist, who taught the community on hygiene and distributed water-purifying Aquatabs. The people were truly empowered.

 

A team of 34 medical personnel (26 from Harare and 8 from Bulawayo) graced the city Gweru for our third medical outreach. These included general practitioners, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nutritionists, anesthetists and health educators. The medical outreach took place at Gweru Provincial Hospital. Many people had heard of the free treatment that Celebration Health was offering and over 739 patients were treated during the outreach. 110 patients had dental procedures done. The surgical team operated on 10 patients and 32 other, minor procedures were performed.

 

On the afternoon of the 5th of September, our Celebration Church choir made their presence known by staging a street bash along Robert Mugabe Street. The choir sang gospel songs and the Word was preached, and 90 people got born- again on the spot. Two evening crusades were held on the 4th and 5th of September 2009, with a turn- out of almost 200 people. On the 6th of September 2009, the first church service was held at The Caritas Hall in the city centre.

  

Celebration Health continued with the same approach to reach smaller towns and those who have no access to basic healthcare. .Celebrate Health, with the co-operation of Celebration Marondera church held a successful outreach while the Celebration Health team attended to 1 714 patients. 

A total of 17 medical personnel attended this outreach. They included doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, surgeons, anesthetists and health educators and were divided into four groups, dental, theatre, Nyameni clinic and Dombotombo teams.12 Operations were performed and these included hernia operations amongst other cases. 144 patients received dental care and 176 tooth extractions were done... The rest of the people received free medication for diagnosed conditions.  

While the medical procedures were taking place the Celebrate Missions team consisting of the choir, which ministered through praise and worship, and the Teaching and Equipping Course (TEC) Team was able to share the word of God with patients and bring them to the Lord.

 

 

 Celebrate Health also donated medical supplies and food packs to needy institutions in Marondera.