News / National
Mnangagwa promises massive health infrastructure upgrade
19 Apr 2022 at 06:35hrs | Views
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 hospital at Lupane, in Matabeleland North are at different levels of completion with workers in situ. The solar panels and boreholes mean many more have the much-needed power and water.
The ambulance fleet has been boosted and training of health personnel expanded, including 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 and the rapid upgrade in other areas is aimed at putting in place a thorough and comprehensive response against the Covid-19 pandemic.
While preventing infection was important, it was also necessary to have the back-up for the infected and to have the teams and vaccines for vaccination.
Medical professionals are on record asserting that Zimbabwe's response to the Covid-19 pandemic improved facilities at health institutions, boosting the quality of health care that will benefit people well after the Covid-19 is wiped out or becomes a minor problem.
President Mnangagwa declared the pandemic a state of disaster from the outset, leading to improved Government resource allocation for the health sector. This also helped marshal the private sector to come on board and help Government boost health care delivery, and getting a lot of companies and others involved in fixing public health systems.
The substantial upgrade to the health system by the Second Republic was contained in the Ministry of Health and Child Care's internal list of projects — ongoing and completed — as of April 7 this year.
"The major role of the department of hospital planning and project management in the Ministry of Health and Child Care is to coordinate the construction and rehabilitation or refurbishment of health facilities in the country," said the Ministry of Health in a statement.
"Important to note is that the construction of health facilities is done by different partners or stakeholders.
"Some of the key partners involved in the construction and rehabilitation or refurbishment of health facilities include rural district councils, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, local Members of Parliament, church organisations, the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe, and many others.
"During the period 2018 to date, the New Dispensation made significant achievements in the development of health infrastructure ranging from the construction of new health facilities to rehabilitation or refurbishment of existing infrastructure.
"In view of the above, a total of 47 health facilities were constructed and completed, 94 projects were under renovation or rehabilitation to completion, a total of 1 074 health facilities were solarised, and 201 health facilities benefit from the borehole water project.
"Kindly note that we still have ongoing projects as follows: We have 93 projects under rehabilitation or renovation at different health facilities in the country."
The Ministry of Health was also streamlined to add other specialised hospitals as a way of ensuring best international practice.
On top of renovating and boosting existing facilities, Government is also constructing a provincial hospital for Matabeleland North with departments at different stages of completion.
"The construction of Lupane Provincial Hospital is in progress as follows: central stores at 59,37 percent, pharmacy at 59,96 percent, casualty department at 52,97 percent, OPD at 34,33 percent, administration block at 35,52 percent, junior staff house at 51,37 percent, maternity block at 19,33 percent, surgical ward at 4,58 percent, paediatric ward at 5,93 percent, dental and eye clinic at 5,42 percent, kitchen at 8,.33 percent, substation at 2,69 percent, antenatal at 0,39 percent and post-natal at 0,35 percent."
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 hospital at Lupane, in Matabeleland North are at different levels of completion with workers in situ. The solar panels and boreholes mean many more have the much-needed power and water.
The ambulance fleet has been boosted and training of health personnel expanded, including 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 and the rapid upgrade in other areas is aimed at putting in place a thorough and comprehensive response against the Covid-19 pandemic.
While preventing infection was important, it was also necessary to have the back-up for the infected and to have the teams and vaccines for vaccination.
Medical professionals are on record asserting that Zimbabwe's response to the Covid-19 pandemic improved facilities at health institutions, boosting the quality of health care that will benefit people well after the Covid-19 is wiped out or becomes a minor problem.
President Mnangagwa declared the pandemic a state of disaster from the outset, leading to improved Government resource allocation for the health sector. This also helped marshal the private sector to come on board and help Government boost health care delivery, and getting a lot of companies and others involved in fixing public health systems.
The substantial upgrade to the health system by the Second Republic was contained in the Ministry of Health and Child Care's internal list of projects — ongoing and completed — as of April 7 this year.
"The major role of the department of hospital planning and project management in the Ministry of Health and Child Care is to coordinate the construction and rehabilitation or refurbishment of health facilities in the country," said the Ministry of Health in a statement.
"Important to note is that the construction of health facilities is done by different partners or stakeholders.
"Some of the key partners involved in the construction and rehabilitation or refurbishment of health facilities include rural district councils, the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, local Members of Parliament, church organisations, the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air Force of Zimbabwe, and many others.
"During the period 2018 to date, the New Dispensation made significant achievements in the development of health infrastructure ranging from the construction of new health facilities to rehabilitation or refurbishment of existing infrastructure.
"In view of the above, a total of 47 health facilities were constructed and completed, 94 projects were under renovation or rehabilitation to completion, a total of 1 074 health facilities were solarised, and 201 health facilities benefit from the borehole water project.
"Kindly note that we still have ongoing projects as follows: We have 93 projects under rehabilitation or renovation at different health facilities in the country."
The Ministry of Health was also streamlined to add other specialised hospitals as a way of ensuring best international practice.
On top of renovating and boosting existing facilities, Government is also constructing a provincial hospital for Matabeleland North with departments at different stages of completion.
"The construction of Lupane Provincial Hospital is in progress as follows: central stores at 59,37 percent, pharmacy at 59,96 percent, casualty department at 52,97 percent, OPD at 34,33 percent, administration block at 35,52 percent, junior staff house at 51,37 percent, maternity block at 19,33 percent, surgical ward at 4,58 percent, paediatric ward at 5,93 percent, dental and eye clinic at 5,42 percent, kitchen at 8,.33 percent, substation at 2,69 percent, antenatal at 0,39 percent and post-natal at 0,35 percent."
Source - The Herald
