Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. FOR over a decade, Tatenda Nyakutya (37) had resigned herself to fate because of a sickness, waiting for the day her failing health would claim her life.
Today, she is filled with hope, crediting a groundbreaking, free lung operation with saving her.
“I would have died already had I not been considered for that operation last year. It definitely added more than 10 years to my life,” Nyakutya said.
Her long treatment journey involved countless hospital visits and tests with limited results.
In July 2022, she was diagnosed with Myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes skeletal muscle weakness.
A CT scan revealed an abnormally growing thymus gland.
The recommended solution was an operation, but with a price tag of US$20 000 to have it done in India, her future looked bleak.
That bleak future was unexpectedly rewritten when Nyakutya was shortlisted alongside two others to undergo free surgery.
The procedures were performed by a local team of cardiothoracic surgeons with the support of foreign specialists and funded by the Cimas Health Group.
On February 27 last year, the trio became the first patients in Zimbabwe to receive keyhole lung operation, a minimally invasive procedure also known as Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS).
In an interview, Nyakutya shared the dramatic improvement in her health.
“Before the operation, I was always swollen and puffy and I experienced a constant shortness of breath. All that ended last year,” she said.
Her recovery is progressing well, with her post-operative check-ups recently extended from three-month to six-month intervals.
“I never planned ahead as I always thought my time was near. After the operation, there has been much improvement; the change is very visible.”
She expressed profound gratitude to the government and its partners, including Cimas and the Avenues Clinic.
“The operation was a stitch in time.
“I know many people are praying for such opportunities… I feared I would die, leaving my daughter to suffer alone, but by their mercy and assistance, I am still here, watching her grow.”
Nyakutya praised Cimas as a “beacon of life to many hopeless individuals”.
“It is my prayer that God continues to bless them with resources so that they manage to give the much-needed help.”
The life-saving initiative is part of a broader public-private partnership between the government, Cimas and other entities like the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe.
Mai Hailey shared her relief after her daughter was one of 10 children who received free open-heart surgery under the same scheme.
She had lost hope upon learning they needed US$25 000 for the procedure in India.
“Hailey is now fine. She even stopped the medication. It was a terrible experience before we were lucky to be considered,” Mai Hailey said.
“The operation was free of charge. We are really grateful for our local doctors, the Egyptian surgeons and the partners who funded the operations.”
These surgeries mark the second phase of a successful partnership between Zimbabwe and Egypt, following 10 similar operations conducted last year.
Speaking at an event held to celebrate the successful operations, Cimas Health Group chief executive officer Vulindlela Ndlovu reaffirmed the group’s commitment to such collaborations.
“Despite economic headwinds, our determination remains unshaken,” he said.
“At Cimas Health Group, we are not driven solely by profit.
“Our guiding force is the profound responsibility of saving lives.”
The partnership signals continued progress for Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector, which has been successfully reviving complex procedures like open-heart and keyhole lung surgeries.
Last year’s collaboration among Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, local and foreign surgeons, and Cimas marked the successful introduction of keyhole lung operation in the country.
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