News / National
Zimbabwe govt slams shoddy workmanship
39 mins ago | Views
The government has strongly condemned the poor construction standards at Bhale Rural Health Centre in Hwange District, warning the contractor to urgently rectify the substandard work or risk having the facility rebuilt from scratch.
The project, which received a government allocation of US$200,000, has sparked outrage from both officials and the local community after inspections revealed that the structures - still under construction - are already falling apart.
Two small buildings intended to house critical health services are visibly deteriorating, with broken window latches, faulty door hinges, and cracking walls. This has raised serious concerns about the durability and safety of the facility.
"The buildings are breaking apart before we have even started using them," said Hwange District Medical Officer, Dr Fungai Musinami, during an inspection on Thursday. "Especially for a health post, this does not meet our minimum requirements for a medical facility."
The project came under further fire from Traditional Leader, Chief Nekatambe, who said: "We are not happy. Locals should be involved in tenders for such projects. We cannot even talk about this clinic, let alone invite dignitaries to see such shoddy work. No—we are disappointed. This structure should be destroyed and rebuilt properly."
Dr Joram Gumbo, the Special Adviser to the President on Monitoring of Government Programmes, who led the inspection, acknowledged the concerns raised by the community and healthcare officials.
"There is a clear need for wider consultations," he said. "The community is saying this clinic will have problems getting approval from the Ministry of Health due to its poor standards. We must ensure quality if it is to be registered and opened."
The government initiated the construction of the Bhale Rural Health Centre after recognising the dire need for accessible healthcare in the area. Residents currently travel 19 kilometres to reach the nearest health facility in Dinde.
The incident has reignited calls for greater oversight in public infrastructure projects and local involvement in community development initiatives, particularly in rural areas where service delivery is already stretched thin.
The project, which received a government allocation of US$200,000, has sparked outrage from both officials and the local community after inspections revealed that the structures - still under construction - are already falling apart.
Two small buildings intended to house critical health services are visibly deteriorating, with broken window latches, faulty door hinges, and cracking walls. This has raised serious concerns about the durability and safety of the facility.
"The buildings are breaking apart before we have even started using them," said Hwange District Medical Officer, Dr Fungai Musinami, during an inspection on Thursday. "Especially for a health post, this does not meet our minimum requirements for a medical facility."
Dr Joram Gumbo, the Special Adviser to the President on Monitoring of Government Programmes, who led the inspection, acknowledged the concerns raised by the community and healthcare officials.
"There is a clear need for wider consultations," he said. "The community is saying this clinic will have problems getting approval from the Ministry of Health due to its poor standards. We must ensure quality if it is to be registered and opened."
The government initiated the construction of the Bhale Rural Health Centre after recognising the dire need for accessible healthcare in the area. Residents currently travel 19 kilometres to reach the nearest health facility in Dinde.
The incident has reignited calls for greater oversight in public infrastructure projects and local involvement in community development initiatives, particularly in rural areas where service delivery is already stretched thin.
Source - ZBC
