Dear Editor – I am writing to express my deep concern over the severe shortage of ambulances at Gutu District Hospital and Gutu Mission Hospital, a situation that is putting the lives of patients at risk every day.

My name is Takunda Paul Chaduka from Mutunduru in Gutu, and I believe this crisis deserves urgent attention from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The two hospitals are the main referral health institutions serving thousands of people across Gutu District.

However, the lack of reliable emergency vehicles has left many critically ill and injured patients stranded for hours before they can be transferred to referral hospitals in Masvingo or Gweru for specialist treatment.

For patients requiring urgent medical attention, every minute matters.

Delays in securing ambulance transport can mean the difference between life and death. Yet families are often left anxiously waiting while health workers struggle to find available transport.

The situation has created frustration among residents, who feel that emergency medical services in the district are no longer receiving the priority they deserve. Many fear that preventable deaths could occur if the shortage is not addressed without delay.

We therefore urge the Ministry of Health and Child Care to intervene urgently by increasing the number of ambulances serving Gutu District and ensuring they are adequately equipped and operational.

Rural communities deserve the same access to timely emergency healthcare as those living in urban centres.

I also want to directly challenge Wicknell Chivayo, Kuda Tagwirei and Paul Tungwarara. You have repeatedly demonstrated your financial capacity by supporting various public initiatives and making high-profile donations. In my view, it is time to place the same energy and resources into saving lives.

What greater cause is there than ensuring that a critically ill mother, child or accident victim has an ambulance available when every second counts? Instead of celebrating donations that generate headlines, I believe Zimbabwe needs more investment in hospitals, ambulances, medicines and emergency healthcare, particularly in neglected rural districts like Gutu.

As a resident of Gutu, I find it deeply disappointing that our hospitals continue to struggle with a shortage of ambulances while wealthy businessmen with the means to make a meaningful difference remain silent on this crisis.

If you can mobilise resources for other causes, you can also help ensure that no one loses their life simply because there was no ambulance available.

History will not remember who made the biggest public donation or attended the most political events. It will remember those who chose to save lives when they had the opportunity to do so.

The people of Gutu deserve a healthcare system that responds swiftly during emergencies. I hope the Ministry of Health, local leaders, and all those with the resources to assist will treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. Access to emergency medical care should never depend on luck.

Concerned Resident
Takunda Paul Chaduka
Mutunduru, Gutu