An eight months old baby, Thayel Makatendeka Bota, previousy diagnosed with severe Jaundice just a few weeks after birth is facing a life threatening ailment that needs urgent medical attention in India.
Baby Thayel who has a swollen and bulky abdomen was later diagnosed with Liver Cirrhosis and Biliary atresia and requires an urgent operation to replace her damaged Liver.
Initially booked for 30 November 2016, Thayel could not travel to India for the surgery as her parents could not afford the US$50 000 required to have the process done successfully and this has left her parents with broken hearts and more stress as their daughter’s condition could worsen if her damaged liver is not replaced.
Her father, Richard Botsa has volunteered to donate his liver but the family says the biggest challenge hampering the surgery is money as the process requires them to travel to India as it cannot be done in locally in Zimbabwe.
According to Thayel’s mother, the whole surgery alone requires US$38,500 with the balance going towards the travelling costs and other related costs.
“We are kindly appealing to the whole world for financial support so that we are able to meet the required amount for our baby to have her liver replaced. We cannot do this alone that is why we are asking for any contribution from everyone, so that our child can have a normal upbringing,” she said.
Thayel’s case expose Zimbabwe’s health delivery system which falls short of international standards and largely depends on donor support. Considering that cases like Thayel’s are becoming more and more common in Zimbabwe, it is high time, the government of Zimbabwe reflects on its health policies and come up with measures to ensure that the country does not continue to lose money to India and other developed countries who have sound and modern equipment.
Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa allocated US$208 million with Defense Ministry getting the bigger chunk of the budget with a staggering US$340 million.
