News / Local
Mmnangagwa says major hospitals to undergo upgrading
03 Aug 2023 at 06:43hrs | Views
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday said Government will upgrade health infrastructure at the country's major hospitals in line with international standards as the Second Republic continues to improve health care for citizens.
The Second Republic has been working around the clock implementing comprehensive reforms for health delivery, re-equipping and upgrading existing hospitals and clinics, and building new ones as it expands and upgrades the essential health infrastructure.
Government has injected an equivalent of US$1,5 million into the medical laboratory at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH)
The facility will be one of the largest laboratories in the country and improve the provision of services for people in Bulawayo and the Matebeleland regions.
At Mpilo Central Hospital, the Government has also directed funds towards the renovation of three blocks of doctors' flats severely damaged by fires in 2018, 2019 and 2021. So far two blocks have been completely repaired and renovated with work on the third almost 98 percent complete.
More than 47 clinics and hospitals have been built since 2018 under the Second Republic with many more upgraded and repaired, as the Second Republic goes overdrive to improve the health sector.
Over 200 boreholes have been drilled at health facilities while 1 000 old and new facilities had solar power installed.
The 47 health facilities are just the completed ones while several others, including a major provincial hospital at Lupane, in Matebeleland North are at different levels of completion with workers in situ.
The ambulance fleet has been boosted and the training of health personnel expanded, including the training of specialised nurses to work in emergency services as well as growing facilities to train more doctors, nurses and other health workers.
The upgrades in the health system are part of Government's quest to ensure local health standards match best international practice.
In an interview soon after touring Cowdray Park Health Centre, a 20-bed state-of-art health facility, which he commissioned yesterday, President Mnangagwa said going forward Government will also transform and modernise major hospitals to meet international standards.
"This is the second such facility which we have brought into the country. The first one if you remember we have is Stoneridge in Harare South and this is the second set. This state-of-the-art facility is between the clinic and the major hospitals," he said.
"It can help the communities around here, instead of jumping from a clinic to a major hospital, we have these facilities to look after our communities. We are happy we have state-of-the-art facilities, and perhaps they have better facilities than the main hospitals, and we shall upgrade the main hospitals to this state of affairs."
Government is constructing 30 health centres and five district hospitals across the country through a US$210 million facility under the Ministry of Health and Child Care in collaboration with NMS Infrastructure Limited, a British company.
Cowdray Park Health Centre is the second project to be completed after the construction and commissioning of Stoneridge Health Centre in Harare.
Another clinic of the same nature has been constructed in Mataga, Zvishavane and the model is being replicated across the country.
President Mnangagwa who was on his way to address the Zanu-PF Star Rally in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, first commissioned the health care facility and an ambulance.
He toured the healthcare facility and expressed satisfaction with the direction being taken by Government in developing medical services.
Cowdray Park Health Care facility has wards for men and women, paediatric, pre-natal and post-natal wards, a delivery room, a minor theatre, consultation rooms, an environmental room, and guidance and counselling rooms.
There is also a laboratory and isolation wards where patients will be treated under observation, among other facilities.
When it starts operating, it is expected to serve the city's most populous suburb – Cowdray Park – while decongesting Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals, which are referral hospitals for southern parts of the country.
Even the road leading to the clinic has been reconstructed and tarred to improve accessibility.
Residents who witnessed the commissioning of the healthcare facility commended Government for bringing medical services to their doorstep.
Ms Florence Dube who lives in Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai area in Cowdray Park spoke about the challenges they were facing to access medical services.
She said the construction of the clinic is expected to improve access to health care.
"We are happy because we won't be travelling long distances to access health care. We were only accessing health care at the clinic near the terminus which was a bit far," said Ms Dube.
"The clinic was overwhelmed and sometimes you would spend almost the whole day without being attended to, so now the service has been brought to us."
Another resident Mr Khekhe Khoza said while a section of Cowdray Park has been lagging behind, recent developments including the construction of roads, are putting them on the map.
"This clinic is going to bring relief to Cowdray Park residents, especially those staying in the Hlalani Kuhle area. We have been uplifted as residents here and we also appreciate the road that has been done here," he said.
"We still have a lot of challenges such as the crime rate, which is high hence we need a police station in our area."
The Second Republic has been working around the clock implementing comprehensive reforms for health delivery, re-equipping and upgrading existing hospitals and clinics, and building new ones as it expands and upgrades the essential health infrastructure.
Government has injected an equivalent of US$1,5 million into the medical laboratory at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH)
The facility will be one of the largest laboratories in the country and improve the provision of services for people in Bulawayo and the Matebeleland regions.
At Mpilo Central Hospital, the Government has also directed funds towards the renovation of three blocks of doctors' flats severely damaged by fires in 2018, 2019 and 2021. So far two blocks have been completely repaired and renovated with work on the third almost 98 percent complete.
More than 47 clinics and hospitals have been built since 2018 under the Second Republic with many more upgraded and repaired, as the Second Republic goes overdrive to improve the health sector.
Over 200 boreholes have been drilled at health facilities while 1 000 old and new facilities had solar power installed.
The 47 health facilities are just the completed ones while several others, including a major provincial hospital at Lupane, in Matebeleland North are at different levels of completion with workers in situ.
The ambulance fleet has been boosted and the training of health personnel expanded, including the training of specialised nurses to work in emergency services as well as growing facilities to train more doctors, nurses and other health workers.
The upgrades in the health system are part of Government's quest to ensure local health standards match best international practice.
In an interview soon after touring Cowdray Park Health Centre, a 20-bed state-of-art health facility, which he commissioned yesterday, President Mnangagwa said going forward Government will also transform and modernise major hospitals to meet international standards.
"This is the second such facility which we have brought into the country. The first one if you remember we have is Stoneridge in Harare South and this is the second set. This state-of-the-art facility is between the clinic and the major hospitals," he said.
"It can help the communities around here, instead of jumping from a clinic to a major hospital, we have these facilities to look after our communities. We are happy we have state-of-the-art facilities, and perhaps they have better facilities than the main hospitals, and we shall upgrade the main hospitals to this state of affairs."
Government is constructing 30 health centres and five district hospitals across the country through a US$210 million facility under the Ministry of Health and Child Care in collaboration with NMS Infrastructure Limited, a British company.
Cowdray Park Health Centre is the second project to be completed after the construction and commissioning of Stoneridge Health Centre in Harare.
President Mnangagwa who was on his way to address the Zanu-PF Star Rally in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, first commissioned the health care facility and an ambulance.
He toured the healthcare facility and expressed satisfaction with the direction being taken by Government in developing medical services.
Cowdray Park Health Care facility has wards for men and women, paediatric, pre-natal and post-natal wards, a delivery room, a minor theatre, consultation rooms, an environmental room, and guidance and counselling rooms.
There is also a laboratory and isolation wards where patients will be treated under observation, among other facilities.
When it starts operating, it is expected to serve the city's most populous suburb – Cowdray Park – while decongesting Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals, which are referral hospitals for southern parts of the country.
Even the road leading to the clinic has been reconstructed and tarred to improve accessibility.
Residents who witnessed the commissioning of the healthcare facility commended Government for bringing medical services to their doorstep.
Ms Florence Dube who lives in Hlalani Kuhle/Garikai area in Cowdray Park spoke about the challenges they were facing to access medical services.
She said the construction of the clinic is expected to improve access to health care.
"We are happy because we won't be travelling long distances to access health care. We were only accessing health care at the clinic near the terminus which was a bit far," said Ms Dube.
"The clinic was overwhelmed and sometimes you would spend almost the whole day without being attended to, so now the service has been brought to us."
Another resident Mr Khekhe Khoza said while a section of Cowdray Park has been lagging behind, recent developments including the construction of roads, are putting them on the map.
"This clinic is going to bring relief to Cowdray Park residents, especially those staying in the Hlalani Kuhle area. We have been uplifted as residents here and we also appreciate the road that has been done here," he said.
"We still have a lot of challenges such as the crime rate, which is high hence we need a police station in our area."
Source - The Herald
