News / National
Ekusileni opening date set
19 Aug 2018 at 07:21hrs | Views
EKUSILENI Medical Centre in Bulawayo will open its doors on 1 January next year as stakeholders are now finalising terms of contracts that will ensure the project gets off the ground.
Ekusileni has had false starts up until President Mnangagwa visited the centre in July and promised that he will facilitate its re-opening. An Indian investor, Shadar Group of Hospitals is working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to open the health institution.
In an interview, chairman of the taskforce overseeing the reopening initiatives, Dr Nyasha Masuka, said the Indian investors have promised that they will open the centre on 1 January.
"There are developments, they (Shadar) came through as promised and we are in the process of signing contracts with the Ministry and Nssa and things are moving in a positive direction since they came through," he said.
Dr Masuka said the group of hospitals needed at least six months to set up all the equipment that was needed for them to start operating in January next year.
"The hospital announced to us that they want to start operating as soon as 1 January 2019 for some departments that are not too taxing. They said they may tackle the outpatients, emergency and one or two theatres first when they open. Analysis is still going on which will come first and the hospital will be opened in phases according to the need and resources set up," he said.
A number of specialists from India will also be offering services at the institution.
"There are going to be specialist doctors coming in from India to work at the hospital because we do not have them locally so they need to be brought in. Some specialist nurses will also be brought in because we cannot have our local nurses and doctors who are not trained in some of the procedures that will be done there, to take up the tasks," he said.
However, he said that does not mean locals will not be employed at the hospital. Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa, when he toured the institution in June, said there would be a mixture of experts both local and foreign so that there is an exchange of information as the institution grows.
The Indian specialist also said they would be capacity building for local doctors and other staff so that they work and learn at the same time. The hospital boasts of 15 department's including a maternity wing, theatres, Intensive Care, dental, high dependency and neo-natal units just to name a few. The institution has 22 three-bedroomed housing units that will house the specialist doctors during their stay.
Ekusileni has had false starts up until President Mnangagwa visited the centre in July and promised that he will facilitate its re-opening. An Indian investor, Shadar Group of Hospitals is working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to open the health institution.
In an interview, chairman of the taskforce overseeing the reopening initiatives, Dr Nyasha Masuka, said the Indian investors have promised that they will open the centre on 1 January.
"There are developments, they (Shadar) came through as promised and we are in the process of signing contracts with the Ministry and Nssa and things are moving in a positive direction since they came through," he said.
Dr Masuka said the group of hospitals needed at least six months to set up all the equipment that was needed for them to start operating in January next year.
"The hospital announced to us that they want to start operating as soon as 1 January 2019 for some departments that are not too taxing. They said they may tackle the outpatients, emergency and one or two theatres first when they open. Analysis is still going on which will come first and the hospital will be opened in phases according to the need and resources set up," he said.
A number of specialists from India will also be offering services at the institution.
"There are going to be specialist doctors coming in from India to work at the hospital because we do not have them locally so they need to be brought in. Some specialist nurses will also be brought in because we cannot have our local nurses and doctors who are not trained in some of the procedures that will be done there, to take up the tasks," he said.
However, he said that does not mean locals will not be employed at the hospital. Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa, when he toured the institution in June, said there would be a mixture of experts both local and foreign so that there is an exchange of information as the institution grows.
The Indian specialist also said they would be capacity building for local doctors and other staff so that they work and learn at the same time. The hospital boasts of 15 department's including a maternity wing, theatres, Intensive Care, dental, high dependency and neo-natal units just to name a few. The institution has 22 three-bedroomed housing units that will house the specialist doctors during their stay.
Source - zimpapers
