Lupane Govt complex complete

The new Elitsheni Government Complex in Lupane, capital of Matabeleland North province, is complete and Government departments have been allocated offices to pave way for relocation of civil servants from Bulawayo, where they have been operating.

Some sections of Lupane Provincial Hospital have also been completed, raising hope that the major hospital will open its doors to the public at the end the year, with all staff in on-site accommodation, also being built.

The majority of Matabeleland North public officers are still operating from Bulawayo and have been resisting the move to the provincial capital citing lack of adequate accommodation, office space and basic services.

The completion of Elitsheni Government Complex brings Government's dream to bring services closer to the people a reality.

Government is upping the tempo when it comes to decentralising services to provincial, district or even ward level to ensure access to critical services for all citizens.

Since 1999 when Lupane was made the capital of Matabeleland North province, construction was moving at a snail's pace, but that has since changed.

Apart from completion of the Elitsheni Government Complex, some sections of the 250-bed Lupane Provincial Hospital have also been completed after suffering delays for the past two decades due to lack of funding.

The Second Republic has made construction of the hospital a top priority and last year Government allocated $47 million for the project.

Authorities have said if all goes according to plan the hospital will open its doors to the public this year.

The hospital is expected to ease pressure on Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals which also serve the southern region of the country.

The expected moving of civil servants to Lupane following the completion of the Elitsheni Government Complex will receive a major boost with the availability of quality health services when the new hospital opens. To underline the work that has been done at the hospital, it will also be the first health institution in the country to accommodate all its health workers on site, according to Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Costantino Chiwenga, who is also the Vice President.

Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo said the province had started allocating offices to departments at the Elitsheni Government Complex in Lupane as the building has been completed.

Final touches that include electricity connections are being done.

"Some departments now know their offices and the only challenge now is accommodation as there are few complete houses in Lupane for heads of departments," said Minister Moyo. "We need to push for building and completion of more houses so that heads of departments start moving to the province when the time is right."

The majority of Government departments are located in Bulawayo at Mhlahlandlela Government Complex where heads of departments operate from, but that will now be a thing of the past.

Our Bulawayo Bureau has also established that at Lupane Provincial Hospital the pharmacy, outpatient and admission departments are almost complete with the structures already roofed.

The flat block for staff has also been roofed and painting on the interior has started.

Workmen are on site finalising plumbing on the completed structures.

The maternity wing, part of the outpatients department, administration block and kitchen are at roof level while the theatre is above window level.

The paediatric department is on ground level while the eye and dental sections are at slab level.

Minister Moyo said the hospital is shaping up.

"The last time I went there was a lot of progress that had been made," he said. "We are grateful that finally the hospital is shaping up and our people in the province and beyond will have a facility.

"This is a key hospital because the service has been lacking. We have many people dying from accidents and other ailments because there is no provincial hospital in the province."

Businessman and community member in Lupane Mr Permanent Sibanda said the community was excited about the developments.

"I was there yesterday with the plumbers and a lot of work has been done to finish up on the initial structures where piping has been done and painting has also started," he said. "There are several structures that are at various stages of completion.

"We understand Government has committed funding so that most of the structures are completed and this will bring a lot of relief to people in the province as well as bring development to Lupane."

It is the Second Republic's vision to construct critical infrastructure countrywide to reduce the distance travelled by citizens to access services, one of the tenets of the National Development Strategy 1.