News / Local
Gwanda Provincial Hospital receives dialysis machine
16 Nov 2021 at 00:41hrs | Views
STANBIC Bank yesterday donated a haemodialysis machine worth US$15 000 to Gwanda Provincial Hospital.
Matabeleland South Provincial Development Co-ordinator Ms Latiso Dlamini said Government is determined to decentralise all health services and bring them closer to the people as part of implementation of devolution.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Ms Dlamini, who was representing Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Abednico Ncube, said the donation had come at a time the hospital was improving service delivery in line with the national health strategy to control non-communicable diseases.
"The minister has been passionate about the acquisition of a dialysis machine for the province. I'd like to thank the Stanbic Bank team for an astounding gesture on social services support and corporate social responsibility.
The Government, however, will also strive to ensure that all your efforts are appreciated and hopes this machine will be guarded jealously," said Ms Dlamini.
She said the Gwanda Provincial Hospital Renal Unit currently serves clients from Insiza and Beitbridge districts.
"Gwanda Hospital is the curative hub in the capital of Matabeleland South providing responsive, general medical and emergency health care to the citizens and even passers-by. Remember, we're a transit route and have people coming from South Africa and other countries.
There's great need for all of us; community and corporate to appreciate how this hospital functions. The hospital executive is striving to improve quality of care by employing the Cassian philosophy, intern everyone in our small capacity, needs to support our hospital.
This will enable community involvement and full participation in assisting management here in discharging their mandate of delivering quality services to the people," said Mrs Dlamini.
She called on the business community and concerned responsible citizens to foster partnerships with the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
"I am aware that there are several joint ventures and public-private partnerships existing between the hospital and private players.
"We have previously had projects funded by private players, including the borehole and tank by Nyaradzo Group, the children's ward by PPC and PPC Women's Forum, the private ward by the SDA Church and the One Stop Centre for survivors of sexual abuse by various government departments.
I'm also aware of the on-going project by Nyaradzo Group to build a state-of-the-art mortuary and laboratory support by Biomedical Research and Training Institute.
We recently opened an occupational health clinic with the support of Baines Occupational Health Services and we're informed that the clinic is targeted mainly at the artisanal miners and services are offered for free," said Mrs Dlamini.
She said the hospital still needed a proper casualty and emergency care infrastructure.
"We're concerned about the frequent road accidents that occur along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge highway. It is indeed a reality that this hospital has inadequate infrastructure to deal with massive road accidents or other possible disasters that could happen in our surroundings.
We also need to support our specialists with a renovated theatre and equipment, which will greatly reduce the cost and inconveniences of transferring patients to Bulawayo hospitals which are also overwhelmed."
Provincial Medical Director Dr Rudo Chikodzore said the haemodialysis machine would go a long way in serving the Matabeleland South communities.
"Renal failure can be very distressing, especially for the patients and family, particularly when you know that treatment is inaccessible or very far.
This donation therefore addresses the issue of accessibility making renal dialysis services more accessible to the community in Matabeleland South.
Stanbic Bank has led by example by showing that health issues are to be tackled by everyone, complementing Government efforts to fully equip our facilities. We need to equip our health facilities so that they offer services as expected," said Dr Chikodzore.
She said as the province moves towards devolution, calls have been made to find resources locally.
"More is achieved when we use this approach as we empower ourselves as a community. We now have resident specialists within our province and it had probably been more than 20 years before we had a specialist in the province and our specialists need to be capacitated. By the end of this year, we're expecting to have a general surgeon.
Our resident minister is very passionate about dialysis, especially because his wife underwent dialysis and experienced first-hand the challenges of inaccessibility of these services," said Dr Chikodzore.
Stanbic Bank head of brand and marketing Mr Palmer Mugavha said the bank continues to play its part in meeting the healthcare needs of communities in which it operates.
"We're donating a haemodialysis machine as part of Stanbic Bank's corporate social investment initiatives in line with one of our strategic pillars of health and sanitation.
Our health-related CSI initiatives fall under the name Usizo/Ruyamuro, which seeks to play a pivotal role in supporting our country to address the pressing public health needs of its people," said Mr Mugavha.
He said the bank was planning rolling out similar initiatives to more district hospitals in 2022 and beyond.
Matabeleland South Provincial Development Co-ordinator Ms Latiso Dlamini said Government is determined to decentralise all health services and bring them closer to the people as part of implementation of devolution.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Ms Dlamini, who was representing Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Abednico Ncube, said the donation had come at a time the hospital was improving service delivery in line with the national health strategy to control non-communicable diseases.
"The minister has been passionate about the acquisition of a dialysis machine for the province. I'd like to thank the Stanbic Bank team for an astounding gesture on social services support and corporate social responsibility.
The Government, however, will also strive to ensure that all your efforts are appreciated and hopes this machine will be guarded jealously," said Ms Dlamini.
She said the Gwanda Provincial Hospital Renal Unit currently serves clients from Insiza and Beitbridge districts.
"Gwanda Hospital is the curative hub in the capital of Matabeleland South providing responsive, general medical and emergency health care to the citizens and even passers-by. Remember, we're a transit route and have people coming from South Africa and other countries.
There's great need for all of us; community and corporate to appreciate how this hospital functions. The hospital executive is striving to improve quality of care by employing the Cassian philosophy, intern everyone in our small capacity, needs to support our hospital.
This will enable community involvement and full participation in assisting management here in discharging their mandate of delivering quality services to the people," said Mrs Dlamini.
She called on the business community and concerned responsible citizens to foster partnerships with the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
"I am aware that there are several joint ventures and public-private partnerships existing between the hospital and private players.
"We have previously had projects funded by private players, including the borehole and tank by Nyaradzo Group, the children's ward by PPC and PPC Women's Forum, the private ward by the SDA Church and the One Stop Centre for survivors of sexual abuse by various government departments.
I'm also aware of the on-going project by Nyaradzo Group to build a state-of-the-art mortuary and laboratory support by Biomedical Research and Training Institute.
We recently opened an occupational health clinic with the support of Baines Occupational Health Services and we're informed that the clinic is targeted mainly at the artisanal miners and services are offered for free," said Mrs Dlamini.
"We're concerned about the frequent road accidents that occur along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge highway. It is indeed a reality that this hospital has inadequate infrastructure to deal with massive road accidents or other possible disasters that could happen in our surroundings.
We also need to support our specialists with a renovated theatre and equipment, which will greatly reduce the cost and inconveniences of transferring patients to Bulawayo hospitals which are also overwhelmed."
Provincial Medical Director Dr Rudo Chikodzore said the haemodialysis machine would go a long way in serving the Matabeleland South communities.
"Renal failure can be very distressing, especially for the patients and family, particularly when you know that treatment is inaccessible or very far.
This donation therefore addresses the issue of accessibility making renal dialysis services more accessible to the community in Matabeleland South.
Stanbic Bank has led by example by showing that health issues are to be tackled by everyone, complementing Government efforts to fully equip our facilities. We need to equip our health facilities so that they offer services as expected," said Dr Chikodzore.
She said as the province moves towards devolution, calls have been made to find resources locally.
"More is achieved when we use this approach as we empower ourselves as a community. We now have resident specialists within our province and it had probably been more than 20 years before we had a specialist in the province and our specialists need to be capacitated. By the end of this year, we're expecting to have a general surgeon.
Our resident minister is very passionate about dialysis, especially because his wife underwent dialysis and experienced first-hand the challenges of inaccessibility of these services," said Dr Chikodzore.
Stanbic Bank head of brand and marketing Mr Palmer Mugavha said the bank continues to play its part in meeting the healthcare needs of communities in which it operates.
"We're donating a haemodialysis machine as part of Stanbic Bank's corporate social investment initiatives in line with one of our strategic pillars of health and sanitation.
Our health-related CSI initiatives fall under the name Usizo/Ruyamuro, which seeks to play a pivotal role in supporting our country to address the pressing public health needs of its people," said Mr Mugavha.
He said the bank was planning rolling out similar initiatives to more district hospitals in 2022 and beyond.
Source - The Chronicle
