Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu [email protected]
THE Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora is today (Friday) touring Gwanda Provincial Hospital to gain an appreciation of the institution’s operations and service delivery challenges.
The minister is conducting a tour of health institutions in Matabeleland South as part of Government’s broader strategy to improve healthcare services across the province.
The visit forms part of a nationwide assessment of public health facilities aimed at identifying service delivery gaps, infrastructure needs, staffing levels and equipment shortages, as Government intensifies efforts to strengthen the public health system and improve access to quality care.
Dr Mombeshora said the nationwide tour is intended to give him a direct understanding of conditions on the ground and help shape targeted interventions. He stressed that while national policies guide the health sector, each province faces unique challenges that require tailored responses.
In Matabeleland South, he has visited health institutions in Matobo District, Plumtree Town, Bulilima District and Gwanda Provincial Hospital. He is also expected to tour Beitbridge District Hospital.
The minister is being accompanied by the World Health Organization Representative in Zimbabwe, Dr Desta Tiruneh, and senior directors from the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
His tour of Gwanda Provincial Hospital began with an interactive meeting involving hospital management, provincial health officials and local stakeholders. The engagement sought to propose solutions to improve service delivery at the institution.
Gwanda Provincial Hospital is the province’s major referral health facility. Located along the Bulawayo–Beitbridge Highway, it experiences high demand for services. Among the challenges facing the hospital are shortages of staff — including general nurses and specialists — limited working space, inadequate staff accommodation, dilapidated infrastructure, transport constraints and shortages of medicines and surgical supplies.
Under the Second Republic, Government has prioritised investment in health infrastructure, human resources and medical supplies in line with efforts to achieve universal health coverage. Through the National Development Strategy 1 and the devolution agenda, authorities have been upgrading rural health facilities, improving the availability of medicines and modernising equipment to ensure that no community is left behind.
