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From George Maponga in Masvingo
A LOT of work has been covered in improving the health delivery system here using the devolution programme fund with 37 rural clinics and one hospital having been either built or undergone expansion in line with President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030.
Most rural local authorities had either abandoned projects half-way or shelved expansion plans owing to underfunding, which worsened at the turn of the millennium when illegal sanctions imposed by the West started to impact on Government projects.
Most of the 37 rural health centres are being built in resettlement areas while a small number are undergoing expansion.
Only one hospital, Ndanga Hospital in Zaka, has benefited from devolution funds, which were used to repair damaged roofs since it is the district’s health referral institution.
At existing health services centres across the province, devolution funds were used to build waiting mother’s shelter or expanding maternity wings in a move tailored to stem the infant mortality rate and death of pregnant mothers while giving birth.
Upon completion, rural health service centres either being built from the ground or undergoing expansion will revolutionarise health delivery in Masvingo province.
Acting Masvingo provincial development coordinator, Mr Fungai Mbetsa, observed that building of new health facilities in rural areas will improve health access in communities and improve livelihoods in line with plans by Government to make Zimbabwe an upper middle income economy.
According to Mr Mbetsa, communities in remote parts of the country were walking long distances to access health facilities before the advent of devolution.
“While some of the devolution funds were disbursed around end of December last year, most local authorities managed to put them to good use to change livelihoods of rural people, especially in the area of health delivery where new clinics were built with existing ones being expanded,” said Mr Mbetsa.
Mr Mbetsa said the devolution programme, was changing the face of most rural communities, especially in the health sphere.
“In Mwenezi district for example, the local authority used devolution funds to convert a farmhouse into a clinic in Ward 6 and the construction of Bubi Clinic will benefit resettled communities in the area who were walking long distances at access health services.”
Some of the existing clinic are having piped water connected or solar power installed to improve the quality of health services.
Some of the new clinics being built are Zoma and Makwirivindi in Gutu while Mataruse, Chagwiza and Nerupiri in the same district are being expanded. In Masvingo district Chisasa, Murinye, Chatikobo and Mavizhu were undergoing expansion using devolution funds.
Besides health facilities, schools and roads are also being improved using the devolution war chest, pointing to massive inroads that have so far been made to steer the country towards Vision 2030.
Online Reporter