Three surgeons, clad in full theatre gear: gowns, shields, goggles, and gloves, huddle over a sleeping child on the operating table. Surgical instruments glisten under the glow of the overhead lights, carefully adjusted toward the patient. Every detail has been checked: the patient’s name, age, diagnosis, and surgical plan. The team has introduced itself. Everything is ready.
But before a scalpel is lifted, a pause.
Not for hesitation, but for prayer.
Dr Gillian Bowora is a Registrar in the Department of Orthopaedics at Mutare Provincial Hospital and a medical student with COSECSA (the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa). During her Orthopaedic Residency at CURE, it was a moment that stood out more than the medical preparation itself.
“My studies have allowed me to rotate in several theatre rooms across the country, and I don’t think I have ever encountered prayer just before surgery,” she said. “That is one thing I will take with me wherever I go.”
Gillian is one of several doctors who have come through CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe’s residential program, an initiative that is shaping the future of paediatric orthopaedics in the country. Beyond providing surgeries, CURE is equipping young doctors with skills, confidence, and a spirit of compassionate service that extends beyond its walls.
For Dr Munashe Mhungu, a Hospital Medical Officer at CURE from United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), his two months have been nothing short of transformative.
“I have seen a lot of things I had only read about in books,” he said. “The Ilizarov frames amazed me the most, seeing how they work and how they can change someone’s life left a big impression on me.”
Munashe was also struck by the provision of care for patients with rare conditions like osteogenesis imperfecta, a brittle bone disease that has left many kids disabled. But what impacted him most wasn’t just the medicine.
“I admire the devotions here. Starting the day with prayer and sharing stories motivates you. You can sense the Holy Spirit guiding you through your work. It makes you realise that this healing is not just science, but something divine too.”
Dr Tendai Mutimbu, a fourth-year registrar based at Sally Mugabe Hospital, came to CURE to deepen his knowledge in paediatric orthopaedics. The experience quickly stretched him beyond what books could teach.
“I was used to reading, but here I got to talk to patients and their caregivers, operate, and follow up,” he explained. “That helps you remember more, and it prepares you better for exams.”
One of his most memorable encounters was with a young girl named Listen. He had first seen her in Harare and referred her to CURE. When her mother recognised him later in Bulawayo, it was a moment that tied his journey to hers in a profound way.
He also recalls a boy with severe leg deformities caused by osteogenesis imperfecta. After surgery, the child’s legs were straight for the first time —a transformation that Tendai says he will never forget.
For Dr Gillian Bowora, her three-month Orthoapedic Residency at CURE has been eye-opening.
“At the provincial hospital, we see paediatric orthopaedic cases but don’t manage them fully,” she said. “Here, I’ve been part of the whole journey, diagnosing, operating, following up, and seeing results. It has built my confidence in theatre in a way I never imagined.”
She smiles when she recalls her initial struggle with Ndebele, the local language spoken in Bulawayo. “At first, I couldn’t understand much, but I made the effort to learn. Now, Ndebele is my third language!”
The experience has done more than sharpen her surgical skills. It has also shaped her vision for the future.
“This has made me seriously consider paediatric orthopaedics as my subspeciality.”
Peniel Mpofu, another Hospital Medical Officer at CURE, described his experience at CURE as inspiring both professionally and spiritually.
“I assisted in surgeries and used equipment I had never seen before,” he said. “But what stood out most were the devotions. Here, prayer is central. I want to carry that back with me and introduce something similar.”
At CURE, it is not just children’s lives being transformed, but also the future of healthcare in Zimbabwe. By training doctors, sharing expertise, and instilling values that extend beyond medicine, the hospital is cultivating a new generation of surgeons equipped with both skill and compassion.
And for the doctors who pass through CURE’s doors, the lessons linger long after the theatre lights dim.
About the CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe
Established in April 2021, CURE Zimbabwe is the first and only hospital in the country of 14 million people to provide orthopedic care for disabilities such as clubfoot, bowed legs, and knock knees to children regardless of their economic status. The teaching hospital has 18 beds, three operating theaters, and an outpatient clinic. The hospital was refurbished by the Zimbabwe Orthopedic Trust in partnership with the Zimbabwean government and is located adjacent to United Bulawayo Hospital in Bulawayo.
