News / National
Parirenyatwa condemns Chiredzi Maternity Ward
12 Apr 2016 at 06:24hrs | Views
The Minister of Health and Child Care Dr David Parirenyatwa on a whirlwind tour of Masvingo Province has condemned the standards at Chiredzi General Hospital Maternity Ward and said the situation is just as good as saying there is no maternity ward.
Masvingo Mirror reported that he made his observations after touring the hospital last Thursday.
Parirenyatwa condemned the Ward for being overcrowded as everything is being done in one room from prenatal to neonatal services.
The ward has some mothers and their babies sleeping on the floor. He condemned the ward as unsafe for the babies and mothers.
He appealed to the business community to come and build another ward under their corporate social responsibility budgets.
"We agree that Chiredzi Hospital does not have a maternity ward. The maternity ward is one of the buildings which we have condemned. It was built in 1967 by the Rhodesians to cater for a few people but we now see an overcrowded building which is unsafe for the mothers and the new born.
"Everything is being done in one ward, that is pre- natal, post and neo natal services, in-fact there are three groups of mothers under one roof and that is not safe. We need a new maternity ward urgently and I call upon local companies to assist with funding for the building of the new hospital through their corporate social responsibility programmes" said Dr. Parirenyatwa.
Chiredzi Hospital Superintendent Dr Paul Ngere said the ward is always overcrowded and on Thursday there was a better number of 35 patients but the previous week other mothers were sleeping on the floor with their babies as there were 65 patients in the ward.
"Minister your visit here is of great significant to this hospital since you have managed to see it for yourself. Our greatest challenge is of lack of a proper maternity ward and pharmacy. As you can see the maternity ward is always overcrowded and at times mothers sleep with their babies on the floor and that is a bad situation.
"Today there are 35 patients but last week the number was too high and that can be reduced if first mothers who are referred to this hospital are allowed to deliver at rural health centres. We also need a new bigger maternity ward as the current one was built in 1967," said Dr Ngere.
Masvingo Mirror reported that he made his observations after touring the hospital last Thursday.
Parirenyatwa condemned the Ward for being overcrowded as everything is being done in one room from prenatal to neonatal services.
The ward has some mothers and their babies sleeping on the floor. He condemned the ward as unsafe for the babies and mothers.
He appealed to the business community to come and build another ward under their corporate social responsibility budgets.
"Everything is being done in one ward, that is pre- natal, post and neo natal services, in-fact there are three groups of mothers under one roof and that is not safe. We need a new maternity ward urgently and I call upon local companies to assist with funding for the building of the new hospital through their corporate social responsibility programmes" said Dr. Parirenyatwa.
Chiredzi Hospital Superintendent Dr Paul Ngere said the ward is always overcrowded and on Thursday there was a better number of 35 patients but the previous week other mothers were sleeping on the floor with their babies as there were 65 patients in the ward.
"Minister your visit here is of great significant to this hospital since you have managed to see it for yourself. Our greatest challenge is of lack of a proper maternity ward and pharmacy. As you can see the maternity ward is always overcrowded and at times mothers sleep with their babies on the floor and that is a bad situation.
"Today there are 35 patients but last week the number was too high and that can be reduced if first mothers who are referred to this hospital are allowed to deliver at rural health centres. We also need a new bigger maternity ward as the current one was built in 1967," said Dr Ngere.
Source - Masvingo Mirror
