BULAWAYO - Hundreds of residents of Bulawayo’s Gwabalanda and Luveve suburbs received free medical services last week. The programme, which was organised by the Lamsukar Foundation, founded by former rugby player, Lameck Kasuka, saw many elderly people and children getting treated at no cost.

Kasuka is a former Highlanders Rugby Player who was paralysed after being injured during a game in 1990. He then formed a charity organisation. Kasuka said he managed to organise the event through the support he got from friends in the Diaspora.
"I have coordinated with my friends locally and outside the country who have chipped in with funds and I do this as a way of assisting the less privileged people in the society who may not afford to go to hospital for treatment," said the wheel chair-ound Kasuka.
He added that the two day programme targeted vulnerable people in the communities who were mostly children and the elderly.
“For a start we targeted those who are aged from 10 years and below, and the elderly people above 55 years. This is a two day programme which ends on Saturday (yesterday)," he said.
By Friday afternoon over 350 people had registered to get treatment. Kasuka said the event was a success through the support from doctors and nurses from United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) who attended the patients.
The local Councillor for Ward 16, Solomon Ncube, was full of praise for Kasuka for coming with such a noble initiative.
"This is great as you can see many people have received free medical attention. As you will appreciate it's difficult to access medical attention these days due to the high costs. This has saved these people a lot of money for consultation and transport for going to hospitals and clinics,” said Ncube.
One of those who received free treatment, Gogo MaDube (68) also thanked The Lamsukar Foundation for this initiative.
"I came here early in the morning and I managed to get treatment for free. Where do you think I was going to get money from to go to hospital? I want to thank Kasuka for such help," she said.
Kasuka said this programme was there to stay and would soon be rolled out in other parts of the city.

By The Zimbabwean