Allan M @edenbeth89 - Twitter Profile

#PauseForThought Every year, sometimes twice a year, I look forward to going home to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is home. It is where my umbilical cord was buried. It is where my roots are. It is where, God willing, I hope to spend my twilight years. In a few years' time, when I finally decide to return for good, I will pack my belongings, my work tools, my Partial Discharge detectors, Hipot testers, Tan Delta test sets, transformer testing equipment and all the other instruments that have been part of my working life, load them into a container and head home to be among my people. But every time I visit, there is one thought that I can never completely silence. What would happen if something went terribly wrong? When I'm driving through places like Zai Rimwe, Mutekedza or Mupatsi on my way to rural Njanja, I sometimes catch myself thinking about the unthinkable. What if there was an accident out here? Would someone be able to call an ambulance? Would an ambulance come? If the situation was serious, would there be access to an air ambulance? If people were trapped in a vehicle, would the fire brigade arrive in time? Where would the injured be taken? Would the nearest hospital have the equipment, medicines and resources needed to save a life? These are not political questions. These are human questions. They affect the wealthy businessman in a luxury vehicle just as much as they affect the pensioner travelling on a rural bus. A million dollars in the boot of a Rolls-Royce means nothing when a person is trapped under twisted metal and every minute counts. In those moments, status disappears. Politics disappears. Connections disappear. All that matters is whether help is coming. Whether the ambulance arrives. Whether the rescue team arrives. Whether the hospital can do what it was built to do. Living in the UK has taught me many things. Life here is far from perfect, but one thing that gives people peace of mind is knowing that if tragedy strikes, a system exists. Ambulances, fire services, air ambulances and hospitals may not be flawless, but they are there. People know that when they dial for help, help is on its way. That sense of security is priceless. Healthcare and emergency services are not luxuries. They are not political projects. They are among the most important investments any nation can make because every single one of us is mortal. No title, no office, no amount of wealth, no security detail and no political influence can prevent an accident, a stroke, a heart attack or a medical emergency. Life can change in a second. That is why I believe we should all be talking more about hospitals, ambulances, rescue services and emergency preparedness. Not because we expect disaster. But because we all hope to survive it if it comes. This is not criticism. It is concern. It is the concern of a son of the soil who loves his country and wants the same peace of mind for Zimbabweans that people in many other countries take for granted. Some things are worth putting ahead of everything else. Saving lives is one of them. END.

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