News / Local
Mugabe pushes for revival of Joshua Nkomo hospital
04 Apr 2014 at 06:59hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is keen on seeing Ekusileni Hospital in Bulawayo being operational after lying idle.
Ekusileni Hospital was a brainchild of the late veteran nationalist and Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.
Public Service Labour and Social Welfare minister Nicholas Goche made these revelations yesterday after touring Ekusileni with Senior minister Simon Khaya Moyo, who is also a trustee of the hospital.
"The president has been following keenly the developments on this hospital," Goche said.
He said it would have been better had Nkomo's statue been unveiled concurrently with the opening of the hospital.
Goche, who was visiting the hospital for the first time, said he had come to see the institution and hold meetings with National Social Security Authority officials and trustees of the hospital to explore a speedy way of opening Ekusileni.
He expressed hope that the meeting would come up with a programme of action that would lead to the eventual opening of the hospital.
"It is my first time being here. I wanted to see it (the hospital). We have discussed it in Cabinet, but as minister responsible for it now, I had to come and see it," he said.
Khaya Moyo said the tour was revealing as a number of people drove past Ekusileni, but were unaware of the huge investment the country has in the health facility.
He said the government, through the Zanu PF manifesto and economic blueprint ZimAsset, wanted to ensure the provision of social services, especially health, to citizens.
Khaya Moyo said Mugabe was in Bulawayo to commission the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport and preside over the unveiling of the nationalist's statue and renaming of Main Street, but there was a missing link as Ekusileni remained closed.
Meanwhile, deputy Health and Child Care deputy minister Paul Chimedza told the National Assembly on Wednesday that the opening of Ekusileni Hospital was of great importance to the ministry.
Ekusileni Hospital was a brainchild of the late veteran nationalist and Vice-President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.
Public Service Labour and Social Welfare minister Nicholas Goche made these revelations yesterday after touring Ekusileni with Senior minister Simon Khaya Moyo, who is also a trustee of the hospital.
"The president has been following keenly the developments on this hospital," Goche said.
He said it would have been better had Nkomo's statue been unveiled concurrently with the opening of the hospital.
Goche, who was visiting the hospital for the first time, said he had come to see the institution and hold meetings with National Social Security Authority officials and trustees of the hospital to explore a speedy way of opening Ekusileni.
"It is my first time being here. I wanted to see it (the hospital). We have discussed it in Cabinet, but as minister responsible for it now, I had to come and see it," he said.
Khaya Moyo said the tour was revealing as a number of people drove past Ekusileni, but were unaware of the huge investment the country has in the health facility.
He said the government, through the Zanu PF manifesto and economic blueprint ZimAsset, wanted to ensure the provision of social services, especially health, to citizens.
Khaya Moyo said Mugabe was in Bulawayo to commission the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport and preside over the unveiling of the nationalist's statue and renaming of Main Street, but there was a missing link as Ekusileni remained closed.
Meanwhile, deputy Health and Child Care deputy minister Paul Chimedza told the National Assembly on Wednesday that the opening of Ekusileni Hospital was of great importance to the ministry.
Source - Southern Eye
