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Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT will engage Mater Dei hospital officials over the admission of critically ill Covid-19 cases at no cost, it has been learnt.
This comes a few weeks after the Catholic-owned was alleged to be demanding exorbitant fees to cater for Covid-19 patients.
Speaking at a post cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa confirmed that the hospital had managed to develop an 18-bed Covid-19 critical care ward.
She revealed that the Ministry of Health and Child Care will soon be entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with hospital officials.
“Mater Dei Hospital, a private institution in Bulawayo, has developed and equipped an 18-bed Covif-19 critical care facility.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care will enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Mater Dei Hospital so that critically ill Covid-19 positive cases from the public sector can be admitted and treated at no cost to the patient,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.
Presently the city had no public sector owned facility to cater for critical ill Covid-19 patients with the Bulawayo City council owned Thorngrove hospital only catering for mild cases.
Government is also working on establishing Ekusileni Hospital as a national isolation centre also to handle critical cases.
Last month Mater Dei announced hefty charges for Covid-19 patients with the institution reportedly demanding a deposit of US$3000 for one to be admitted at a general ward and US$5000 for Intensive Care Unit Hospitalisation.
The Catholic run hospital also announced that patients have to pay US$60 deposit for causality.
Online Reporter