Online Reporter
Robin Muchetu, Health and Gender Editor
THE refurbishment of Ingutsheni Central Hospital in Bulawayo is expected to commence in September, with a 20-bed drug and substance abuse rehabilitation unit getting first priority as the institution grapples with a surge in admissions linked to substance abuse.
The rehabilitation programme follows a fundraising luncheon convened by the Office of the Vice-President Kembo Mohadi earlier this year to mobilise resources for the restoration of the country’s largest psychiatric hospital which has been deteriorating.
President Mnangagwa, who became the first Head of State to visit Ingutsheni, donated US$1 million towards the institution’s rehabilitation during the luncheon.
In an interview, Ingutsheni Chief Medical Officer Dr Nemache Mawere said procurement and other regulatory processes were now at an advanced stage, with work expected to begin once the tender processes were completed.
“The projects are coming out of the proceeds of the luncheon. What we did, which took us time, was to get a waiver from the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz). These processes take time,” he said.
“We also tried to target some other special people who we could get to encourage them to join the reconstruction process. So, we did that. We did the procurement processes and got the waiver. I think they are done with the issues of advertising.”
Contractors have since conducted site visits to assess the areas earmarked for refurbishment.
“They have done a site visit. They have come to visit all the sites in the first phase. We selected about six to eight areas which need urgent attention. It is going to happen now once the procurement process is over by the end of August. By September we should be able to come to our site if they agree to start the work,” said Dr Mawere.
The 20-bed drug rehabilitation unit will be prioritised amid growing pressure on the hospital from substance abuse cases.
“The number one project is going to be the drug rehabilitation section, Khumalo Ward. Number two and number three is Mzilikazi Ward, which at some point is going to be evacuated from there. They need to repair it a little bit,” he said.
Dr Mawere said the hospital was also preparing to improve its outpatient services through the refurbishment of a new stand-alone outpatient department.
“We have got a new outpatients department; we used to operate from inside. Now we moved from inside to a stand-alone outpatient’s department.
“It’s a big department. We’re going to have a lot of departments — consultation rooms, X-ray, laboratory, women’s clinic, all those things. All our specialist areas are scattered all over, social workers, psychologists, and doctors, they are all working in one place now. Which is a good thing,” he said.
Dr Mawere said bringing the various services under one roof would make it easier for patients, particularly those with mental health conditions, who often struggled to move between different sections of the hospital.
The refurbishment will also include the development of a dental section, with the hospital having already secured a dental chair.
“We just need to prepare the room for installation of the dental chair. So those are the things we are going to have in the first phase,” he said.
The hospital kitchen and laundry are also among the priority areas earmarked for refurbishment, with equipment expected to be procured as part of the project.
Dr Mawere said staff accommodation would also receive attention as the hospital sought to retain specialist personnel.
“We may also do one or two staff houses, which we have allowed to deteriorate for a long time now sadly. We have got senior people who need accommodation and we cannot get them here again if we do not give them accommodation. It will be difficult,” he said.
The Chief Medical Officer said the pressure caused by substance abuse was already evident in the hospital’s admission figures.
“They (admissions) have been bad. I get the figures every Monday. There are still 160 patients in Khumalo Ward. Which is very, very intense. The whole hospital has about 620 people admitted all in all. But Khumalo itself, you are getting 160 patients yet it requires just 95,” said Dr Mawere.
He described Khumalo Ward as the hospital’s most acute area and said the refurbishment was intended to address long-standing infrastructure problems rather than provide temporary fixes.
“This is the most acute one. That’s where all the problems are happening, like sewer blockages. When we were doing this tender, we kept telling the guys we want permanent solutions to these areas.
“We don’t want people to come here and just fix a broken door and go away. We must put something which is very strong and durable. So that’s what we’re trying to work on. To make sure whoever is going to get these tenders will give us the value for money,” he said.
Beyond the clinical infrastructure, Ingutsheni is also seeking to expand its agricultural activities to improve food production at the institution.
Dr Mawere said the hospital was working on increasing its arable land from the current 10 hectares by another 10 hectares.
“I am also hopeful that it’s going to come through. We will work to create more space to plough even a bigger area. I think we are going to increase to have an additional 10 hectares of land to add to the current 10 hectares,” he said.
The expansion will include additional drip irrigation infrastructure and a water reservoir to support agricultural production.
Dr Mawere said the rehabilitation programme would ultimately seek to create a more sustainable institution capable of providing improved psychiatric and rehabilitation services to patients while also improving conditions for staff.
