Probe into Tsholotsho accident underway

By Whinsley Masara

The Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa on Friday said investigations into the cause of the accident which killed 21 health workers in Tsholotsho last Saturday were underway.

He visited the hospitalised patients at Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals.A total of 21 members of the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s malaria control team died while 48 were injured when the driver of the truck they were travelling in failed to negotiate a curve resulting in the vehicle overturning and rolling several times.

Minister Parirenyatwa said: “We are told that there were arguments with the driver which is why we have ordered a full enquiry into exactly what happened. We heard he would travel at 20km, at one stage 10km per hour and then suddenly speed up.

“So we need to go into those details and I am glad that the province has instituted this particular inquiry to see exactly what happened so that it teaches us for the future. We are very disheartened by this tragic incident,” he said.

Minister Parirenyatwa said his ministry would look into the systems of deployment of the malaria control team.

He applauded staff at Mpilo Central Hospital for their efficiency and professionalism in attending to the injured people.

He also commended the Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director Dr Nyasha Masuka and the nursing staff at Mpilo Central Hospital for “the pleasing work” they had done.Minister Parirenyatwa said they had engaged experts from Ingutsheni Hospital in Bulawayo to counsel the survivors as well as some people close to the victims. The Chronicle