The first wave did not hit the country as badly as we feared. But now the second is upon us and, with our health system in shambles and our health workers still incapacitated, many fear we may not be as lucky.
The first known casualty of Covid-19 in Zimbabwe was Zororo Makamba, a pro-regime journalist and son of James Makamba, a well-known businessman.
Zororo’s brother, Tawanda, said that not only were his test results delayed, but Wilkins Hospital, the only isolation facility available at the time, delayed admitting him, saying it was not ready. It eventually did, but Zororo apparently told his family the nurses were afraid to go near him because they did not have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE). He reportedly said he was alone and scared.
He had tried to walk out of the hospital because he was feeling neglected, but was stopped.
Sadly, on 21 March, 30-year-old Zororo succumbed to the disease. After he died we were shocked to hear that despite his family having secured a ventilator, the hospital did not use it to save him because there was no compatible power point. The hospital also had no running water and no intensive…
