St Paul's Musami turned into referral hospital

St Paul's Musami Hospital, a Catholic Church-run health facility in Murewa West, has officially attained referral hospital status and is already conducting major surgical procedures, in what local authorities have hailed as a milestone for rural healthcare in Zimbabwe.

Murewa West legislator Farai Jere made the announcement during a ZANU-PF rally at Manjoro Primary School, where he applauded the Second Republic under President Emmerson Mnangagwa for prioritising healthcare development and delivering on its promises.

"I am happy with the positive strides being made by our government towards improving health facilities across the country. Today, I stand tall, telling you that Musami Hospital is now a referral hospital," said Jere to an enthusiastic crowd.

He revealed that the hospital, which recently underwent significant upgrades, has already carried out four successful major surgical operations - a first in its history - marking the beginning of its new role as a hub for advanced medical care in Mashonaland East.

"This is good news and we are happy that as a constituency, we are the ones to benefit first. The upgrade of Musami means that patients who used to travel long distances for specialist care can now be treated right here at home," he said.

Established in 1923 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Harare, St Paul's Musami Hospital has long served the rural community of Musami and surrounding areas. In the past, the hospital had to refer patients to larger urban centres such as Marondera Provincial Hospital, Chitungwiza General Hospital, Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

Now, with improved infrastructure and the addition of advanced medical equipment - including state-of-the-art X-ray machines - the facility has reversed that role and begun receiving referrals from other institutions instead.

"We now have patients being referred to Musami Hospital from other areas and we say this is a positive development," said Jere.

The hospital's elevation to referral status signifies that it is now equipped to accept both emergency and non-emergency transfers from smaller clinics and district hospitals, with the resources to handle complex cases and surgical interventions.

The development is part of a broader national drive to strengthen the healthcare system, especially in rural and underserved regions, by decentralising specialist services and reducing pressure on central hospitals.

The move is also expected to reduce travel costs for rural patients, improve health outcomes, and strengthen the local healthcare workforce by offering medical professionals a more advanced facility in which to work and train.