Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
THE Minister of Health and Child Care, Douglas Mombeshora, is today expected to tour rehabilitation works underway at Mpilo Central Hospital as Government intensifies efforts to upgrade major public health institutions across the country.
Major referral hospitals, including Mpilo Central Hospital, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, are undergoing extensive rehabilitation under the Government’s hospital upgrade programme aimed at improving service delivery and restoring quality healthcare.
The institutions, which serve millions of Zimbabweans, are among the main beneficiaries of the Presidential Hospital Rehabilitation Programme, a nationwide initiative targeting both urban referral centres and rural health facilities.
A key turning point in the programme came in June 2025 when President Emmerson Mnangagwa made an impromptu visit to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, where he expressed concern over deteriorating infrastructure and outdated equipment.
During the visit, the President immediately directed authorities to institute corrective measures, prompting Government to accelerate refurbishment works and modernisation efforts at the affected institutions.
Following the directive, rehabilitation works were fast-tracked, with a focus on upgrading infrastructure, modernising medical equipment and improving working conditions for health personnel as part of wider efforts to revitalise the public health sector.
Health sector analysts say the programme reflects a deliberate policy shift by the Second Republic to prioritise healthcare as a critical pillar of national development.
Improved health infrastructure is expected to strengthen service delivery, enhance human capital development and contribute to broader economic growth.
The rehabilitation programme is also expected to address long-standing challenges such as outdated equipment, overcrowding and limited capacity, which have negatively affected service delivery in major public hospitals for years.
Officials say the upgrades will improve patient care, reduce referral bottlenecks and restore public confidence in public health institutions in line with Government’s broader vision of ensuring equitable and accessible healthcare for all Zimbabweans.
