HEALTH and Child Care Ambassador, First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, has set a new benchmark in supporting Zimbabwe's health system by donating brand-new blankets for every bed in all the country's Central and Provincial hospitals.
This historic gesture, covering all referral institutions nationwide and complementing Government efforts, ensures that no patient will go without proper bedding, a vital component of quality health care.
Dr Mnangagwa's consistent efforts reflect a rare blend of compassion and leadership, reinforcing her reputation as a champion for accessible and dignified health care.
Through practical, people-centred initiatives, she continues to inspire hope within the health sector and positively impact lives across Zimbabwe.
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The blanket donation follows her recent contributions of major consignments of medical equipment and consumables to public hospitals nationwide, further cementing her role as a hands-on Health Ambassador whose work addresses the real needs of both patients and health workers.
Acting Health Secretary Dr Stephen Banda said the donation will greatly benefit Zimbabwe, thanking the First Lady for a gesture he said will significantly help citizens in their quest to access quality health services.
"What happened here today is something from which Zimbabwe will benefit. We received a donation of blankets for all our central and provincial hospitals in the country. Each hospital will receive blankets based on its bed capacity times two, meaning each bed will have two blankets.
"This is not for the Ministry of Health, but for the citizens of Zimbabwe, as they are the consumers of the services sourced by the First Lady," he said.
Dr Banda said that for distribution purposes, the largest, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, will receive its share, while other hospitals will collect theirs from NatPharm's central stores at Sally Mugabe Hospital.
"So we are receiving blankets for central hospitals, and all our provincial hospitals will come to receive theirs, sourced by our First Lady, the Patron of Angel of Hope.
"We would like to thank our Health Ambassador for the excellent work she is doing. Amai, thank you very much for what you are doing for the citizens of Zimbabwe," he said.
Dr Banda said the First Lady should continue to have strength from God to carry out her unparalleled good work for the citizens.
"They appreciate it and love it. We are all behind you. We also thank God for giving you more strength and energy to continue serving your country as you have been doing.
"Besides being the Ambassador for the Ministry of Health and Child Care, please continue supporting not only the Ministry but also other sectors in the country," he said. Dr Banda said the Health and Child Care Ambassador's contributions to the health sector are evident to all.
"So, for the First Lady, I think she is doing wonders for the citizens of this country. For the Ministry of Health, she has done a lot, and we will continue to appreciate and cherish everything she is doing for us.
"We are also here to witness more donations coming to the Ministry of Health. As the Ambassador for Health in the country, she has been active across the provinces, spearheading the cervical cancer screening programme," he said.
Dr Banda said much of this support has been made possible through Angel of Hope under the First Lady's leadership, including the buses providing free women's health screenings across the provinces.
He also said other initiatives include programmes in Mbare at Stodart Hall, where Dr Mnangagwa is helping rehabilitate young people struggling with drug abuse, guiding them back to responsible citizenship.
Hospitals have welcomed the initiative, highlighting that warm and clean bedding is essential for patient comfort, recovery and infection control.
Sally Mugabe Central Hospital representative, Matron Sandra Chipere, was on cloud nine when she received the consignment of brand-new linen from Dr Mnangagwa.
"This will go a long way in serving our community. At Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, our population has been growing every day. This consignment will help us alleviate the shortage of linen within our hospital.
"So this consignment that we have received from Amai is going to cater for the whole hospital. Our hospital has a bed capacity of 1 250. So each bed is going to receive two blankets. So we are going to receive 2 500 blankets for all our beds," she said.
Matron Chipere also said that the hospital has benefited from the First Lady before, with an Angel of Hope room serving bereaved mothers, emphasising the ongoing support the First Lady provides to the hospital.
A representative from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Clinical Matron Tendai Matsvimbo, thanked the Health Ambassador for the blankets they have received, which will ensure that each bed receives two brand-new blankets.
"Parirenyatwa, the largest hospital in Zimbabwe, has thousands of beds, and this generous gift from Angel of Hope through Dr Mnangagwa will provide double blankets for all our beds.
"We wholeheartedly applaud this gesture, as it will benefit all patients receiving care at our institution by ensuring they have clean and adequate blankets," she said.
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Matron Matsvimbo also said they appreciate the numerous forms of assistance the First Lady continues to provide to health officials, which make their work easier by ensuring they have the necessary tools.
"Previously, we have also received medical equipment and food hampers for our patients and we continue to thank the First Lady for her passion and commitment, which helps ensure patients receive care with ease," she said.
A representative from Chitungwiza Central Hospital, Sister Loice Joromani, was also over the moon for the latest generous donation of blankets.
"These blankets are going to go a long way in providing comfort to our patients.
"We want to thank our Health Ambassador, Dr Mnangagwa, for this gesture. This is showing kindness on her part to us as Chitungwiza Hospital," she said.
Sister Joromani said, apart from blankets, they have been receiving various consignments from Dr Mnangagwa, including medical consumables and supplies such as beds, medicine and food hampers, among several other items.
Through this latest act of generosity, Dr Mnangagwa demonstrates her unwavering commitment to strengthening public health institutions and improving service delivery across Zimbabwe's health sector.
