Over the past few years, Higherlife Foundation placed equipment in three major hospitals: Sally Mugabe Hospital, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Mpilo Central Hospital.
The equipment these key institutions received, including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, suction machines, monitors, jaundice meters and phototherapy machines, has helped improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes and the quality of care given to mothers and newborns during some of their most vulnerable times.
A team from Higherlife Foundation’s Communications Department visited the maternity and neonatal ward at Mpilo Central Hospital – the largest hospital in Bulawayo to understand how the equipment has assisted their work.
Midwives working in the facility said their lives have been easier since receiving the equipment in July 2024 and in February 2025.
Sister Sibonokuhle Ncube, a Midwife and Paediatric Nurse who works in the neonatal intensive care unit at Mpilo, said they can now better serve expecting families and their newborns.
“These machines we received have made life easier for us. We use CPAP machines for neonates with respiratory distress, the earlier that we commence the babies on those machines, the better,” Sr Ncube said.
There are some processes which were previously manual and tedious, which have become automated, increasing the rate of efficiency.
“Earlier on we used to give IV fluids manually (intravenously), but now you can now connect to the machine and you set the regulated amounts and everything becomes automated. It saves time and ensures that there are no intervals missed,” said Sr Ncube.
Where there are situations that require close monitoring, Sr Ncube said machines like the glucometer have helped raising alarm in times when a baby is deteriorating and the jaundice meter has helped with detecting conditions brought by neonatal jaundice, like kernicterus.
Sister Raddy Nowedza, a midwife in the Mpilo Maternity Ward said the use of technology in managing neonates is best because a lot relies on the timeliness of the intervention.
“Modern technology tells you starting from booking, we need to know the FBC, blood platelets and haemoglobin.
We now have haemoglobin machines to check for blood sugar, and we have monitors that we use to check for foetal heart rates, pulse and CTGs, which are helping us. All these machines are so modernised, so everything is done immediately. You beat time in doing the right thing,” Sr Nowedza said.
Higherlife supports maternity wards in Zimbabwe’s major hospitals through equipment placement. The model ensures that the equipment placed in these critical institutions remains under Higherlife Foundation’s stewardship, ensuring regular repair and maintenance during their lifespan.
