Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
A specialist maternity and paediatric unit will be established at Ekusileni Hospital here in Bulawayo under a transformative partnership with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), a move anticipated to bridge the gap in terms of access to quality healthcare.
The 200-bed facility will no longer remain idle, as the first consignment of specialised equipment is expected in the country within the next two months, paving the way for its full-time operationalisation before the year’s end.
The newly established maternity facility will offer specialist services in gynaecology, neonatology, and paediatrics, among others. It will also be developed into a quinary hospital for the purpose of teaching medical students and conducting research.
Quinary hospitals, as envisioned within the framework of Education 5.0, are designed to foster innovation and create a modern environment conducive to clinical research.
This development should assist Zimbabwe in reducing its reliance on outbound health services, which currently limits accessibility for many patients in need of improved health outcomes. A brainchild of the late nationalist and Father Zimbabwe, Joshua Nkomo, Ekusileni was constructed in 2001 before it was briefly operational for seven months in 2004.
Yesterday, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Ambassador Frederick Shava, toured Ekusileni Hospital accompanied by the NUST Vice Chancellor Professor Mqhele Dlodlo, university management, and lecturers, and affirmed the Government’s commitment to the establishment of a specialist facility at the hospital within the shortest possible time.
“The bold decision to establish a quinary hospital here at Ekusileni Hospital is an extremely important initiative,” he said. “The structure that houses Ekusileni Hospital is a magnificent and beautiful structure that has not been utilised for years as a result of various issues along the way since it was constructed.
“But now that NUST has requested to use it as a teaching hospital the Government appreciates that and fully supports the initiative.
“The establishment of a quinary hospital at Ekusileni Hospital will give an opportunity for NUST to do post-doctorate training and Government is happy that the university wants to specialise in areas of the health sector that are lacking in the country,” said Dr Shava.
He said the move also presents a perfect opportunity for the country to venture into medical tourism and generate much needed foreign currency.
“We want the facility to be fully operational by the end of the year and the Vice Chancellor (Professor Dlodlo) was telling me earlier that some of the equipment will be delivered very soon.
The arrival of the technical equipment from China will signal the beginning of good things at NUST,” said Dr Shava.
In his remarks, Prof Dlodlo said the university was excited about the grand opening of the hospital this year.
“Turning Ekusileni Hospital into a fully-fledged quinary hospital is a major boost to the NUST medical school and we look forward to the grand opening of the facility at the end of this year. The hospital will start operational in 2026 and the fact that people are seeing a lot of activity of movement of stuff in and out of Ekusileni is proof that we are moving in the right direction and it’s a sign of the excitement of good things to come.
“We thank the Government and our own ministry for making it possible for NUST to acquire the first phase of the equipment that will be used at the hospital. The equipment will be acquired in batches until all the 200 beds are ready to be used. The supplier has promised to deliver the first batch of equipment in two months. The equipment is for obstetrics, gynaecology, pre and post-natal paediatrics,” said Prof Dlodlo.
NUST Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Professor Elopy Sibanda, said the establishment of a maternal health facility at Ekusileni Hospital will bridge the gap of a shortage of such facilities in Bulawayo and Matabeleland region.
“We expect this to address the burdens within the community, where many patients are forced to deliver in floor beds due to inadequate capacity. Our equipment is expected to arrive soon and we aim to commence operations by June.
“One of the significant services we plan to introduce is open-heart surgery, primarily for children, a procedure that is not available in the country. This is crucial for underprivileged children who struggle to access such services. We hope to launch this service by September of this year,” said Prof Sibanda.
Ekusileni in its current state houses essential components including a pharmacy, administration offices, a boardroom, a kitchen, a physiotherapy unit, a pathology laboratory and a paediatrics department.
In total, the hospital comprises four wards, two intensive care units (ICUs) with eight beds combined, a laundry room, six operating theatres and an X-ray laboratory — all designed to enhance patient care and support medical excellence.
The initiative to establish a quinary hospital will involve transforming the facility into a state-of-the-art specialist teaching and research hospital, thereby revolutionising the country’s healthcare system.
The hospital was renovated to handle Covid-19 critical patients a few years ago and Government was already planning beyond the pandemic due to shortcomings in the country’s health sector, characterised by lack of specialists’ doctors.
