Peter Tanyanyiwa
HARARE Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume on Monday expressed satisfaction with the progress being made on the construction of the Kuwadzana Enhanced Polyclinic maternity wing in Ward 44, saying the facility is on course to begin offering maternity and theatre services before the end of the year.
Clr Mafume toured the project in Kuwadzana Extension on Monday together with Ward 44 Councillor Adonia Shoko, senior City of Harare officials, including West Region management led by regional manager Mrs Marian Mverechena, Health Services director Dr Prosper Chonzi, health department officials and representatives of the contractor overseeing the development.
The enhanced polyclinic is being constructed through a public-private partnership involving the City of Harare, Chinese organisation Tuzchi Zimbabwe and contractor Zimbabwe Jiangsu International Construction, following the groundbreaking ceremony held earlier this year.
Speaking after inspecting the works, Mayor Mafume said the city was encouraged by the pace of construction and remained confident the facility would significantly improve maternal healthcare services for residents of Kuwadzana Extension and surrounding suburbs.
“When we came here earlier this year, we were breaking ground. Sometimes you break ground and months later you find goats grazing on the site. Today we are pleased to see real progress and a contractor on site,” he said.
“They have assured us that by the end of the year babies will be born here. That is exactly what our residents deserve – quality healthcare facilities close to where they live.”
The mayor said the facility would become only the second City of Harare clinic equipped with a fully-fledged operating theatre capable of performing caesarean sections after Mabvuku Polyclinic, marking another milestone in the city’s strategy of strengthening secondary healthcare services.
“We are moving from simply providing primary healthcare to offering secondary healthcare services that reduce pressure on our referral hospitals,” he said.
“Referral hospitals should be concentrating on highly specialised and complicated cases rather than routine procedures that can be managed at well-equipped council facilities.”
Mayor Mafume said the council intended to replicate the enhanced clinic model in rapidly growing residential areas, including Harare South and Hatcliffe Extension, as part of efforts to ensure healthcare infrastructure keeps pace with urban expansion.
He also applauded the continued partnership with Tuzchi Zimbabwe, saying the project demonstrated the value of public-private partnerships in improving service delivery.
“We remain grateful to our partners. Although the founder of Tuzchi Zimbabwe sadly passed away this year, his vision continues through projects such as this. This partnership has outlived him and will continue benefiting thousands of residents.”
Clr Mafume also said the city planned to extend its Community Health Insurance (CHI) scheme to the facility upon completion, enabling residents to access council health services after paying an affordable annual subscription.
Ward 44 Councillor Adonia Shoko said the project represented the fulfilment of a long-standing community aspiration.
“For years, expectant mothers from Kuwadzana Extension have been travelling between 10 and 15 kilometres to deliver at other health institutions because this community had no maternity facilities,” he said. “This project will transform healthcare not only for Ward 44 but also for neighbouring communities,” he said.
Clr Shoko said the development would greatly reduce travelling costs and risks associated with women in labour seeking treatment at distant hospitals.
Online Reporter