Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Health Reporter
THE Chinese Embassy has donated ventilators, thermometers, masks and oxy concentrators to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) which is set to open its Covid-19 centre in about month.
UBH is home to one of Bulawayo’s designated Covid-19 centres- Old Bartley Memorial Block (BMB)- which is undergoing renovations.
At the moment Covid-19 patients in need of hospitalisation are using Richard Morris Hospital which is also within UBH.
Bulawayo has four designated centres and three have been undergoing renovations since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March, which has killed 206 people in Zimbabwe.
BMB, Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital, Ekusileni Healthcare Centre and Mater Dei Hospital are the designated centres.
Last month, the Government said it would sign an agreement with Mater Dei Hospital to admit critical Covid-19 cases at no cost to the patients, a move that will improve the province’s ability to deal with the pandemic.
Acting UBH chief executive officer Dr Narcasius Dzvanga yesterday said the Chinese donation would assist in treating those infected with Covid-19.
The donation includes 10 ventilators and oxy concentrators, 10 000 masks, 50 thermometers and 20 ventilators.
“On behalf of the management, staff and the patients I would like to sincerely thank the Chinese Embassy for prioritising UBH in the donations so far received,” said Dr Dzvanga.
“The donations constitute some of the latest technologies and include patient ventilators. We shall forever cherish these donations and still look forward to more assistance in terms of personal protective equipment.”
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care, the BMB Covid-19 centre is 96 percent complete and what only remains is the oxygen piping process before it opens its doors to members of the public.
Bulawayo province now has a cumulative 1 286 cases, 37 deaths with 1 148 recoveries while Matabeleland North has 114 cases, three deaths and 91 recoveries.
Matabeleland South province on the other hand has 699 cases, seven deaths and 501 recoveries. -@thamamoe
Online Reporter