Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve
The long‑awaited Binga Nursing School is scheduled to open in January 2027 after the completion of extensive refurbishment works currently underway at Binga District Hospital, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini has said.
The nursing school, a flagship project under the Binga Development Initiative launched to fulfil President Mnangagwa’s pledge to modernise the historically marginalised district, 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 delegation to assess progress, provided a hopeful timeline for the project’s completion.
“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.
“If things work well, we think that by January 2027 it should be opening. There are so many things that need to be refurbished at Binga District Hospital. The refurbishment is underway as we speak.
“Definitely, if things go according to plan, by 2027 it will open. If things go the other way, we will try to make sure that by the end of 2027, the School of Nursing in Binga will be running,” said Dep Min Kwidini. The establishment of the nursing school comes as part of Government’s broader decentralisation of nurse training aimed at addressing the critical shortage of skilled healthcare professionals in rural areas and providing opportunities for students from remote communities to pursue nursing careers.
For decades, Binga District has suffered from a severe shortage of nursing staff, with residents often forced to travel long distances for basic healthcare services. The nursing school is expected to reduce staff turnover at health institutions across the district and will prioritise local recruitment through the recently introduced quota system, which requires nurse training institutions to admit at least 75 percent of students from their home 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, the Tsholotsho School of Nursing in Matabeleland North recently celebrated its first graduation since 2015, with 45 students completing their training after years of setbacks.
