Nelson Charova lies on a weatherworn bench outside a dilapidated ward at the Beira Central Hospital, which, in the wake of Cyclone Idai, has become ground zero for the wounded from villages and towns across the vast floodplain.

The disaster left nearly 500 people dead in Mozambique, with the toll expected to rise to more than 1,000 in three countries affected by the deluge, as the problems of an already stressed healthcare system are compounded by mounting fears of waterborne diseases.