Global Health Program Annual Report 2021

Red Zones
University of Zimbabwe
Chiratidzo E
Ndhlovu, M Med Sci (Clin Epi), FRCP
COVID-19 has taken our most eminent and senior physician, Professor JG Hakim, as well as one of our
international collaborators, infectious disease specialist Professor David Katzenstein. Both died in the
same hospital in Harare within 24 hours of each other at the end of January 2021. Their loss has made
us even more likely to want to retreat into the cocoon under the guise of “shielding,” which for a clinician
means avoiding bedside teaching. After all, conducting ward rounds with the rest of our teams is one of
several unique features that makes Zimbabwe University attractive to our global health collaborators.
Shielding or hiding from clinical care became the norm, and was encouraged given the various lockdown
periods that Zimbabwe introduced with each surge in cases. We had “zoned’’ our hospital wards into
the Green (COVID-19 negative) and Red Zone (COVID-19 suspects plus confirmed cases). The ordinary
(Green Zone) medical wards had been reduced from five wards with 30 beds i.e. 150 inpatient beds to
just two wards i.e. 60 beds, with the remainder reserved for COVID-19 cases which most of us were not
involved with. We were “shielding,” expecting the formation of new teams to take care of those in the
Red Zones!
The World Has Left
Africa to Dry Out
Founder of the African Community Center for Social Sustainability
(ACCESS)
Robert Kalyesubula, MD, PhD
20 UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND NUVANCE HEALTH