ZIMBABWE
CANADIAN medical doctor Paul Thistle has carved himself a niche in the medical fraternity, especially at mission hospitals where he has blended well with the rural folk wherever he is posted.
When he left the Salvation Army-run Howard Mission Hospital in a huff last year, villagers protested violently against his forced departure.
One year down the line, Thistle has found himself a new home at Karanda Mission Hospital in Mt Darwin where in no time, he has drawn patients from all corners of the country for the “magic touch” that is synonymous with him. The hospital falls under the Evangelical Church of Africa.
NewsDay (ND) reporter Moses Matenga yesterday spoke to Thistle (PT) on what he thinks about the Chiweshe community and why people were now flocking to Karanda for medical care and the number of patients the hospital attends to on a daily basis at his new workstation.
ND: You made news headlines when you clashed with the Salvation Army leadership at Howard Mission Hospital in Chiweshe last year. You have now settled here, how has been your stay so far?
PT: It has been a good experience, I have been received very well and we, as a team, are very busy these days. It has been a good transition from the days at Howard Mission (in Chiweshe).
ND: Judging from what we have at Karanda Hospital, people seem to be flocking for medical attention here some from far-away places, what do you attribute that to?
PT: Most of the people are non-locals. Most of them come from Bulawayo, Harare, Rusape, Mutare and all over the country. For me, I feel that we have a big task ahead of us and we continue to pray for guidance in the discharge of our duties here.
They come for consultations, surgeries and other various reasons. Others tell us they can’t afford what they pay in other institutions and have no access for various reasons, I can’t speak of others, but those are the main reasons they tell us why they come to Karanda Hospital.
ND: How many people do you attend to a day and of that number, how many are locals and non-locals?
PT: A day we attend to between 200-300 patients and like I said, half of them will be non-locals, the numbers increase on some days and that keeps us extremely busy at times. We are used to it and we have a dedicated staff that stands ready to assist the patients who have faith in our works and competence. When they come here, we engage them and make sure they are attended to in time and to the best of our ability.
ND: What’s your staff complement like at Karanda Hospital?
PT: We have four doctors and between 35-40 nurses; all trained and competent enough to assist in any way possible.
ND: Any challenges that you would need the government to deal with?
PT: We do a lot of work outside of medical catchment, we do advertisements calling people to Karanda and we involve ourselves in a lot of social work, but the resources from the Health and Child Care ministry do not take into account the extra work that we do. We do nurses’ training, but when they graduate, we don’t get as many as we would want according to the work that we would have done. We advocate for more staff and more resources.
ND: Do you sometimes get assistance from the government and are you satisfied with that?
PT: We have had assistance from the Health and Child Care ministry and the National Aids Council; we work closely together quite well. We have training for the University of Zimbabwe medical students and internal surgical internship and we need to lobby for extra resources.
ND: Given the manner you left Chiweshe and the violence that followed when villagers protested against your departure and the attachment you had created, do you miss Howard Mission?
PT: I had become attached and was getting used to people in Chiweshe and Howard Mission. We had developed an attachment on several projects including social work, children work, among other issues. It was a strong relationship, so we do miss people in Chiweshe. We were providing health care at Howard and abandoned such on short notice.
ND: In your view, why do you think people prefer mission hospitals to other ‘big’ public hospitals in cities?
PT: It’s unaffordable for most people yet mission hospitals continue to provide accessible, affordable care. At least that’s what the people say and I can’t speak for other hospitals.
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MAY 2013
After having to put money raised for Howard Hospital on hold after turmoil there, Canadian Langley Rotary clubs in British Columbia are ready to send the $57,642 they raised to Karanda.
“The last four months of 2012 certainly was a tumultuous period for our Rotary effort in Zimbabwe,” said Langley Rotarian Dr. Brendan Martin who founded International Health Langley — a fundraising arm of the Rotary Clubs that help hospitals in poor nations.
Thistle gave up a lucrative career in Canada and dedicated 16 years as the chief doctor at Howard Hospital when he was fired in August.
“His strict adherence to proper accountability and ethical principles resulted in an impasse,” said Martin.
Thistle was abruptly fired and told to leave the countryby the leadership of the Salvation Army there.
Thistle questioned the leaders over fundraising dollars and where the money was going. “The Salvation Army leadership wants all the money raised to pass through their bank accounts in Harare. There was a pattern of the money not arriving at the hospital or arriving late,” said Martin in August.
Thistle was being punished for being a good steward of those funds, he said.
Thistle refused to leave the country, but couldn’t return to Howard Hospital.
“Unfortunately Howard Hospital has imploded since his removal and is only functioning at a small fraction of its former level,” said Martin recently.
The $57,642 will purchase the medical equipment and medicines originally intended for Howard Hospital, confirmed Martin.
“It’s a well-run hospital,” he said of Karanda.
36 comments:
Bravo Dr Paul Thistle. God speed in the great work you do. Sadly TSA has lost a great warrior.
What a sad loss for the Salvation Army!
Yes indeed. But God has blessed this man and his ministry for standing up for what is right. Not only has TSA lost a good doctor, it has lost its reputation for serving the marginalised in our society, and has done the Chiweshe people a great disservice, and their abandonment by the Army will live on in their hearts forever.
Over the last year, TSA has spent a lot of money in trying to rectify the wrong it has done - money which could have been used to help other needy people, and you have to question its stewardship, when an apology and some transparency would have gone a long way to healing the wounds.
It has also lost huge amounts of donation income - I'm sure that has hurt the organisation badly as well. TSA loves money – indeed, it couldn’t carry out its holistic mission without money, we know that, but in this case its love of money and its corrupting power has destroyed TSA’s standing in the Chiweshe community, and a whole range of healthcare and social projects there, as well as maligning the reputation of a good man who was carrying out his Christian calling by doing excellent work – making a difference and doing the most good – fulfilling, in fact, some of TSA’s mission statements.
But it’s all water under the bridge, and Karanda hospital's gain is TSA's huge loss, not only in material and physical matters, but also spiritually.
the love of money, the root of all evil.
There is a huge dichotomy going on here in that Dr Thistle wanted so desperately remain part of such a corrupt, thieving and crooked institution as the Salvation Army and, at the same time, was willing to continue as a covenanted Salvation Army officer in it?
How can that be ethically and morally right?
Having willingly and happily been part and parcel of the HH scene for 17 years, one wonders!
At least the people of Chisweshe have not lost out as he is still serving in the area at Karanda - his calling intact and the local people still provided with medical care. Good stuff
"Dr Thistle wanted so desperately remain part of such a corrupt, thieving and crooked institution as the Salvation Army".
More than a little over the top - Focus and get a grip! (on a smaller brush)
But is that what was not, at least, implied if not actually stated throughout this episode? The Salvation Army leadership, management and the system being crooked to the core, on the take, corruptible, inept, bend, thieves etc?
Read through some of the postings on your blog!!!
And Dr Thistle wanted to remain part of THAT - as a covenanted officer - at ANY cost as long as he could stay at HH???
Most sensible people would want to get out of such an oppressive and negative system pronto rather than prolong any agony in order to keep integrity and honour intact.
God's leadings can be clearly seen in this, Dr Thistle is obviously much better of at Karanda, much better facilities, state of the art equipment, less funding pressures, superb evangelical Christian environment, much more Christian than SA HH ( where he was for 17 years)and still with his calling to the Chisweshe people intact.
As was stated clearly recently, he was not appreciated, at least he is at Karanda. God bless that lovely family unit.
I avoid commenting on 'comments'; minds rarely meet. However, when statements are as broad as the Hollywood sign in the California foothills we need to step back and ponder what's beneath it...
"But is that what was not, at least, implied if not actually stated throughout this episode? The Salvation Army leadership, management and the system being crooked to the core, on the take, corruptible, inept, bend, thieves etc?"
Implied, yes, but by the very few and same preachers time an again, including you. And what's odd is that many of you go out the front door on Sunday morning an drive to your home corps': scratching my head?!
"Read through some of the postings on your blog!!!" Good point - slipped my mind all these years, until your pithy comment yesterday - writing, reading and editing every day for six years! (one apostrophe only)
And Dr Thistle wanted to remain part of THAT - as a covenanted officer - at ANY cost as long as he could stay at HH???
"Most sensible people would want to get out of such an oppressive and negative system pronto rather than prolong any agony in order to keep integrity and honour intact."
And your point is? Paul Thistle isn't sensible? He reads our blog and will not be pleased that a friend thinks so poorly of him.
Chin up!
It seems to me that Dr Thistle was prepared to 'put up' with all the financial shortcomings only because he had a heart for the people in the community he was serving, and his direct funding worked well until the Commissioner objected. But there was more at stake there for him than his own exasperation with Army authority – all the doctors and nurses who volunteered their services also made a difference to the patients at the hospital: they gained valuable experience themselves, they responded to their consciences’ call to do something useful, and TSA gained medical labour at no cost to itself, and many more patients were treated than if TSA was the only financial provider. This, along with the thousands of dollars raised by the Canadian charities, make it incredible for events to have taken the downward spiral that they did. What was the Army thinking?
Many people who know Dr Thistle have attested to his love for the Chiweshe people, and this, coupled with his local cultural knowledge gained over many years of living there, would lend a realism to the financial irregularities he experienced at the hands of TSA. It is well known that things are run very differently in African countries, and maybe that is something we who have followed this series have failed to register fully. We are judging with our own ethical standards.
This is not to say I condone what TSA did – far from it, because as Christians – and especially as this involved Christian leaders - we have a single, Bible-based set of ethics by which we live. This is why it is so puzzling that the territorial leader – one of TSA’s highest leaders - did not appear to operate an ethical fiscal policy, even in Africa.
No organisation or corporation is perfect, and many of us who serve in TSA are aware that it is not 100% as it should be, even though it is portrayed as perfect in our periodicals, but we 'put up' with it because of the personal spiritual benefits - the worship style, the humanitarian activities, 'doing the most good', an outlet for musical talents we want to dedicate to the Lord, good Bible teaching, local officership, the list goes on.
Prior to learning about this African tragedy I had no idea about Army monies in other territories than my own (UK), and was blissfully unaware of any shenanigans. But this story has taught me a lot : it has, regretfully, opened my eyes to the ‘willingness to compromise’ that exists within the higher ranks, and has diminished my respect for the leaders who have tried to cover up this gross misdemeanour and have veiled it in silence until now. It has opened my eyes to the totalitarian regime under which we all serve, where we are denied a voice if it challenges the Army even in the slightest way. It has saddened me that there is no forum for discussion, and that my national and divisional leaders are not interested in how or what any of their flock really think.
But it HAS shown me ‘love in action’ – not by TSA, but by Dr Paul Thistle - a man who is head and shoulders above those who have maligned him and ignored his contribution to the Howard Hospital over 17 years. A man who was prepared to live among the poor people of his community and serve them in the best way he could: a man who went the extra mile to raise the means by which he could improve the lives of ‘his’ people – let’s face it, by doing the job that was really the responsibility of TSA.
Surely, in order to function at Karanda, he will have to bring his own external funding sources with him? Without such financial backings he would not be able to be there. With all his excellent contacts and the switched monies from HH donors to Karanda, Dr Thistle must surely be one of the top charitable fundraisers for Karanda at the moment.
Mission hospitals, of whatever denomination, have always relied on external personal and overseas funding to be able to keep positions viable and patients treated at basic primary care level.
Anything above primary care is usually an unaffordable and unsustainable luxury for a small rural hospital in the bush as increased capacity increases demand. This can often lead to a financial/ organisational breaking or melt down point where enthusiasm and a genuine concern for the well being of people in need can not be realistically matched any longer.
The harsh reality of life is that not every presented need can be met in most instances so you signpost to where it could be.
God bless HH and Karanda, both excellent facilities for the local population.
I believe Dr Thistle's donors are pleased to still provide him with their donations - how TSA has lost out - in both material benefits, but also in its standing in the local community in Chiweshe, and also in the world.
Scoffers of the contributors to this blog will say it's a small event in the Army grand scheme of things, but it has something basic at its core - the lack of truth and transparency - essential Christian values. When you see these are absent in the highest echelons of our leadership, the effects are like water dripping into a bucket. More and more people are talking about it in their corps, especially since the publications in Army papers, and people are wondering why it all happened - let's hope and pray that TSA can stop the rot before the bucket overflows.
I have not heard one single person in my large corps mention anything, let alone anything negative about HH as they are totally oblivious to past happenings as described on this blog. As far as I can gather, no-one knows even of the existence of this blog.
How do you know they are oblivious? Mine is a small corps, and at least 10 people are aware of what's happened at HH. No-one gets up on Sundays to tell the others - who ARE oblivious - but the people who know are handling it sensitively, and hoping and praying that the SA will show some integrity. We all have heavy hearts about it, and cannot equate the Army we love and serve in with the heartless and insensitive actions just over a year ago. With the articles being published in WC, ATW and Salvationist we are hopeful.........
To ask how Paul Thistle could have contemplated staying in such a corrupt Army, begs the question why do any of us remain in TSA when we know all that we know?
I think the answer is simply we believe in the mission of TSA, but all acknowledge there is a dire need for change in the way the Army does business and handles situations. I guess like the rest of us, Dr. Thistle is hopeful for change to happen someday.
Although Dr. Thistle was aware of wrong doing in THQ Zimbabwe, like any of us there is the experience of disillusionment and shock when upper echelons of leadership support that wrong doing. Just look at the YouTube video of the interview done during the 24 hours when the Thistle's were frantically packing up the 17-18 years of their life in 24 hours. You will see the shock and disillusionment in the man.
Why did he continue to offer to be available until a replacement could be found? I truly believe he could never have anticipated this would all end the way it did. I'm sure he never could have expected that IHQ would support the wrong doing in Zimbabwe. Some may call it naive, but which one of us has not at some time been disillusioned by TSA?
As I see it, Paul and Pedrinah loved the Army but not more than God, and they prioritized their calling to minister to the Chiweshe people over obedience to TSA hierarchy. Some on this website have been in a similar predicament.
Just to clarify, although Dr. Thistle is able to fulfill his calling as a medical missionary doctor at Karanda, it doesn't mean the people of Chiweshe still have access to him. The only people from Chiweshe who can be treated at Karanda, are those who can travel or are well enough to walk the distance. In Chiweshe the seriously ill are still dying because they need transportation to Karanda. The HH and Karanda are not in the same region.
I find it abominable that anyone would suggest hypocrisy on the part of Dr. Thistle because he has chosen to remain a Salvationist. This interview shows he hopes like many of us for needed changes in TSA that we serve the Lord in, and like probably most of us, there is shock at how stubborn the Army has been in this situation.
For several weeks after I first heard about the HH problems I too thought I was the only person at my corps to know about it. With a number of soldiers fairly new to the Army I kept quiet not wanting to spread disillusionment. But eventually someone asked me if Id heard about it and I discovered that actually a number of the more established soldiery were very aware and turn to this website for information. Equally other former officers have asked me whether I'm a member of the fellowship because they are thinking of joining. Nothing has been said from the platform so our newer friends still have trust in the hierarchy. I'm not sure how much longer that can continue so I too pray that someone - preferably the General - will act with sensitivity and integrity to repair the situation as far as that is possible.
Too true - many of us are watching.... and waiting.... the soldiery are more spiritually sensitive than the leaders. I do pray the leaders will heed this.
IHQ what are you afraid of? The creditability of the SA depends upon your action but far more importantly the well being of people in Chiweshe need your support. Why not start by providing treatment for those who can not afford it? Rise above the corruption people suffer they require helping or have you gone on by the other side of the road for the safety of IHQ?
Well said, Andrew.
Corrupt, thieving and crooked Organization. That is the truth about TSA. That's why I got OUT. I exposed corruption, abuse and deception and reported it to our Divisional and Territorial Headquarters as well as the General. What did I get?? Threatened with Court action if I continued to speak. Never an apology and never any effort to put things right. They do use money for other than what it is intended. People give thinking it helps the needy, but not much of it does. TSA is NOT a Christian Organization, not even part of God's Church. I know much more than I could write here.
I pray for Dr Thistle and his family, his team and for those lovely people he and his wife treat, comfort and minister to daily.
God bless you all.
Elizabeth in Australia
Well said, Elizabeth. I guess that's why most of us 'insiders' write anonymously, which is sad. We pray for a better day. It looks as if TSA doesn't know how to apologise. Of course, another word for 'apologise' is 'repent'. To refuse to apologise is one thing, but to refuse to 'repent' has spiritual repercussions.
I suppose most people write anon is not so much because they fear anything the SA might or or might not do but to protect themselves, and those they love from spurious personalised attacks from fellow bloggers they dare to disagree with! Such is the nasty beast called 'internet blog'
Yes, I could admit I have cause to fear what might happen to me. The Salvation Army right up to IHQ know me because I have been so vocal in reporting corruption, abuse and deception. They know who I am, but the Lord is my Saviour and I have promised to 'be faithful and stand up for Him'. Dare to be a Daniel has become Dare to be a David for me now. I have been 'taking on' TSA for years now and have been persecuted and threatened with court action if I speak out any more. That's why I put my name to this now. They know who I am, but I will not give in. To stay quiet and do nothing would mean that I condone their actions, greed, abuse etc.
God bless all who are brave enough to take on Goliath !
Elizabeth Webley
Manly West, Queensland
Australia
I almost always post using my name. Sometimes I forget until it's too late.
What do I have to fear from TSA? Not much. I don't work for them, although I do have family members who do. I'm not an officer, although I do have family members who are. I don't solder there at this time, due to lack of corps in the area in which I live and work, but I have family members who are active soldiers.
Has there been backlash at me because I'm public? Sure, there has been some. But on the other hand, my friends who are still in TSA, whether officer or soldier, have recognized that I am free to express my views.
I don't begrudge those who feel the need to be anonymous. I certainly understand their feelings. Even those who use anonymity to be snarky!
Oh, and one more thing, which I am sure will bring out the snarky anonymous comments but I will say it anyways.
I put my name on there so that, however unlikely, any member of TSA administration is welcome to find me and message me privately. Not that I think that would ever happen but hey, at least it is out there.
Jolinda, LOL - I think you're safe there - contact with the members? That doesn't happen. We are taken for granted, as long as we pay our cartridges and don't rock the boat. The HH has shown TSA in its true colours.
TSA is pretty bad about contact. I am trying to think when the last time someone from TSA checked up on me in a ministerial capacity. I know that it has been at least 6 years. I guess I should contact the corps where my soldiership is and ask them to send it to a new corps... any suggestions?
I was active in my last corps in a large metropolitan area; in the band, responsible for the AV ministry (overheads for songs, sermons and announcements), did work on the corps website, on the corps council. They knew I was leaving and it was all on good terms.
When I finally settled here in Tennessee, I attended a corps a few times but its location was too far for me to attended.
But it's not like I've dropped off the face of the earth. There are plenty of corps, DHQ, THQ, SFOT and missionary officers who know how to get in touch with me. But to date, not one of them have talked to me about coming back to TSA.
Hmmm... now that I think about it, maybe all my activity lately re: HH is the reason. But that only explains that last 4-5 months. Wonder what happened with the rest of the time.
Actually I do have fears. The quickest way to raise the ire of TSA Senior Leadership is for them to find out that you know something they don't want you to know, and they will do anything to 'shut you up'. See what they did to Dr Thistle !!
That's how it happened to me.
They would love to get their hands on all the information I have, but it is in different places as well as with a Lawyer.
I was a Soldier until just over three years ago but threw all my uniforms, hats, badges, books etc into the rubbish bin rather than give them to someone else to promote and support such an abusive and corrupt organization.
Yes, sadly it is that bad !! It is too much to write here, but happily I worship with Christians now.
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