Gweru hospital adopts specialist clinic scheduling

Gweru Provincial Hospital (GPH) has drafted a specialist clinic schedule programme aimed at improving access to health service delivery at the province’s largest referral facility.

The specialist clinics would provide specialist paediatric, physician, gynaecology, urology, orthopedics, breast and general surgery specialist services to general members of the public.

The Second Republic has identified the health sector as one of the priority areas hence increased investments towards construction of more clinics through devolution funds, while new equipment and solar systems have been installed at public health institutions across the country.

GPH medical superintendent, Dr Fabian Mashingaidze said the specialist clinic schedule is meant to reduce patient waiting time.

“We want the public to know when they can be seen by a specialist if it is not an emergency. The biggest challenge was the long time before being attended to by specialists as some clients were coming too early for the service,” he said.

“So, the specialist clinic schedule would reduce frustration from the patient, nurse and the doctor as well.”

According to the schedule, paediatricians will be available on Monday and Tuesday, while gynaecologists will be seen on Monday and Wednesday.

There are also days for the urologist (Monday), physician (Thursday) orthopedician (Tuesday), breast specialist (Tuesday) and general surgery (Thursday and Friday).

Dr Mashingaidze said putting the schedule in the public domain helps improve organisation of specialist services, thereby increasing efficiency.

“We also want to improve communication between the health care referral system and the stakeholders,” he said.

Dr Mashingaidze said GPH, which recently received a staff bus from the Government and medical equipment from the Japan International Co-operation Agency, also intends to enhance communication and reduce client waiting time.

GPH recently received digital mobile X-ray machines as part of the 5S-Kaizen-Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy aimed at improving quality management and healthcare services at the institution from Jica.

Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Sleiman Kwidini, has showered the hospital with praises for being a shining example of the excellent collaboration between Zimbabwe and Japan.

“Zimbabwe has a vision to achieve upper middle-income status by 2030 and clients’ feedback both done at the hospital, through the community-based organisations and third party validation from the citizens across the country has indicated GPH as the preferred tertiary health care service provider,” he said.

Deputy Minister Kwidini said other indicators like patient waiting and serving time, availability of medicines, laboratory and radiological tests and general service availability had been steadily increasing.

“The surveys done across the ministry show that this institution has respectful staff and we believe their motivation is high,” he said.