Chiredzi set to run Mkwasine clinic

Tawanda Mangoma in CHIREDZI
Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) yesterday said it was prepared to take over operations at Mkwasine Estate Clinic, which shut down after Lowveld sugar producer, Tongaat Hulett, withdrew medical equipment from the facility early this year. The closure of the clinic has left more than 20 000 people living in the malaria-prone estate seeking medical services at Chiredzi General Hospital, which is nearly 35 kilometres away.

Tongaat’s migration has also spelt doom on Mkwasine Estate Country Club and lodges, which are on the verge of collapse due to neglect.

CRDC chief executive officer Mr Issac Matsilele said they were waiting for approval to assume operations at Mkwasine Clinic from officials at the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement, who are the custodians of the properties.

He said if it was not for the delays from the ministry, they would have opened the clinic’s doors last month.

“We were approached by sugar cane farmers in Mkwasine to be the responsible authority at the closed Mkwasine Clinic and we agreed,” said Mr Matsilele.

“As council, we agreed to such a request and went on to submit all necessary paper work to the Ministry of Lands as the authority in control of the said premises.

“If it wasn’t for the delays, I believe we would have opened the clinic last month because resources for such a critical facility had been availed.”

Masvingo Provincial Medical Director Dr Amadeus Shamhu said the Ministry of Health and Child Care was aware of the closure of Mkwasine Clinic.

He said nurses and drugs for the clinic to re-open were available, but pointed out that the Ministry of Health had no capacity to run the facility on their own.

“As a ministry, we don’t have the capacity to re-open Mkwasine Clinic on our own, but we notified Chiredzi Rural District Council that we have nurses and all medication required for the resumption of operations at the clinic,” he said.

“We are just waiting for them to update us about the reopening of the clinic, which covers a very big area of Mkwasine.”

Chiredzi North Member of Parliament Cde Robert Mukwena said the situation in Mkwasine required an urgent intervention by Government to restore the health delivery system.

He said the pulling out of Tongaat from Mkwasine led to total collapse of most facilities owing to lack of maintenance.