Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
THE long-awaited Binga Nursing School is scheduled to open in January 2027 after the completion of extensive refurbishment works underway at Binga District Hospital, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Kwidini, has revealed.
The nursing school, a flagship project under the Binga Development Initiative, is expected to be a game-changer in closing the healthcare skills gap that has for decades hindered service delivery in Matabeleland North Province.
Deputy Minister Kwidini who recently led a ministerial delegation to assess progress, said Government expects the school to be ready for opening next January.
“We have visited as the ministry to see what is needed there. As of now, we cannot say tomorrow or the day after tomorrow that the school of nursing is going to be there, but plans are at an advanced stage to make sure that Binga District Hospital has a school of nursing,” he said.
“If things work well, we think that by January 2027, the school should open. Right now there are so many things that need to be refurbished at Binga District Hospital. The refurbishment is underway as we speak and definitely if things go according to our plans, by January 2027 the school should open.”
The establishment of a nursing school in Binga is part of Government’s broader decentralisation of nurse training aimed at addressing the critical shortage of skilled healthcare professionals in rural areas.
For decades, Binga District has faced a shortage of nurses resulting in health institutions operating with skeleton staff.
The nursing school is expected to address the problem of shortage of nurses in the district and the bulk of the students to be enrolled will be from the district as a result of the recently introduced quota system requiring nurse training institutions to accept at least 75 percent of students from their districts or provinces.
The development mirrors a wider Government push to revive and expand nursing education infrastructure across the country.
In Matabeleland South, Tshelanyemba and Maphisa Primary Care Nursing Schools in Matobo District recently reopened following temporary closures due to staffing and compliance challenges.
Meanwhile, Tsholotsho School of Nursing in Matabeleland North recently celebrated its first graduation since 2015, with 45 students completing their training after years of setbacks.
derick.khumalo