adminConrad Mupesa
Mash West Bureau
Devolution funds have brought smiles to over 500 villagers from Vuti, in Hurungwe district, as a primary health care centre being constructed has reached 90 percent completion.
The clinic is one of the many flagship projects that Hurungwe Rural District Council has undertaken using the funds and is expected to have been completed within the local authority’s 100-day cycle.
The Vuti farming community located some 50 kilometres west of Karoi along the Harare-Chirundu Highway, has been without a primary healthcare centre, with villagers travelling over 15 to 20 kilometres to access health-related services.
The coming in of devolution funds, whose aim is to promote development in line with the devolution agenda, saw the 51-year-old settlement benefit from the gesture.
Vuti villagers hailed the Second Republic for coming to their rescue.
Ms Abigail Charewa said, “We are grateful President Mnangagwa for the devolutions funds that have seen this clinic being built. People here walk at least 20 kilometres to the next health care centre and it is a difficult situation for expecting mothers.”
Another villager, Mrs Jennifer Nkiwane, said the community was now geared for the construction of a mother’s shelter whose works were expected to be spearheaded by the villagers.
The community had managed to raise enough bricks to build the first block of the two-block clinic.
Mr Sydney Selia, who participated in the initial stages of construction before the council chipped in with more funding, material and a building contractor for the successful construction of a life-changing facility, said the project was long overdue.
For Mr Alfred Charewa, the construction of Vuti Clinic was mooted in the 1970s before the idea was shot down due to conflicting interests among the communities.He said the planned project was moved some 20 kilometres away, starving the area which was then centrally located.
Hurungwe RDC chief executive, Mr Luke Kalavina, said five healthcare centres were being constructed in the district from devolution funds and private-public-partnership (PPP).
“We have five clinics that we intend to open this year so as to limit the distance travelled by our people to access healthcare in line with Vision 2030,” he said.
“Two of these clinics, Vuti and Mahwau in Wards 4 and 8 are currently above 90 percent.
“We also have Chiedza Clinic which is above 70 percent and we intend to complete it by mid-year this year.”
Apart from the clinics, the council is also constructing classroom blocks, bridges and supporting environmental conservancy using devolution funds and its own funds.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter