dyton mupawaenda
Bulawayo Bureau
THE Government has set the first quarter of this year as the deadline for the completion of the reconstruction of Kezi Rural Hospital in Matobo District, Matabeleland South province.
The hospital, one of the 11 health centres in the province, was built in the 1940s but the entire structure was heavily damaged by termites, and posed a serious risk of collapse, making it unsafe for both patients and health workers.
The situation compelled authorities to destroy it, paving the way for the reconstruction works that began last year.
Its completion is expected to bring huge relief to communities around the institution as it will restore access to health services.
The project is being implemented under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), a five-year rolling plan, comprising projects and programmes from Government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and is instrumental in operationalising the country’s medium, and long-term development strategies.
In a recent interview in the district, Matobo District Development Coordinator (DDC), Mr Obey Chaputsira said a lot of work has been done and the building was now at roof level.
He said once funds were released as expected, they were hopeful that the project would be completed in the first quarter.
“We have made a lot of progress with regards to the construction of Kezi Rural Hospital. We are now at roof level and we expect further funding very soon so that we can finish the outstanding work,” said Mr Chaputsira.
“Our target last year was to get to the roof level, which we achieved, and in the first quarter of this year, we should be able to finish the project.
“It was a complete rehabilitation of the structure because the whole building was being affected by termites. So, we literally had to start afresh because there was a risk of the building collapsing since it was also old, having been built in the 1940s.”
Acting Matabeleland South provincial medical officer Dr Andrew Muza said the reconstruction of the hospital is one of the many infrastructure projects that are being implemented by the Government to improve heath infrastructure in the province.
“The main reason behind the infrastructural projects is to improve the quality of care that is offered to our patients. The completion of the structure will help us offer more services as there will be more appropriate space for adding new departments that have not been operational,” he said.
“Progress towards completion will be determined by the availability of funds from the Government,” said Dr Muza.
Last year, the then Minister of Health and Child Care, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, launched the Health Resilience Fund (HRF), a joint effort with funding partners and UN agencies in the health sector. The event also marked the launch of the National Health Strategy (NHS) 2021-2025, the Investment Case for the National Health Strategy and Coordination Framework for the Health Sector.
The fund and strategies aim to further improve the health of the population of Zimbabwe.
The National Health Strategy (2021–2025) is a deliberate effort by the Government to improve the health and wellness of the population and to ensure universal access to health services, whilst the Investment Case to the National Health Strategy (2021–2025) calls for efficiencies in the utilization of available health resources.
Matobo District lies in the southwestern parts of the country sharing a border with Botswana.
It is one of seven districts in Matabeleland South province with an estimated population of 95 696 (according to the 2022 ZimStats census results) settled over an area of approximately 7 220km, half of which is inhabited state land.
The district falls under agroecological region 4/5 with intermittent rainfall of 400-450mm on average.
Temperatures range from 26 to 38 degrees Celsius in these regions, which makes it highly unfavourable to agriculture, particularly maize crop production. Matobo National Park is the major tourist attraction in Matobo district providing the residents a seasonal income from tourism.
Online Reporter