Korean envoy tours Nkulumane Clinic, applauds impact of medical aid

SOUTH Korea’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Jae Kyung Park, on Wednesday visited Nkulumane Clinic where he commended the positive impact of medical equipment donated to the City of Bulawayo last year.

The city received medical equipment and a vehicle valued at US$110 000 from the East Asian nation, with the consignment distributed across municipal clinics to strengthen healthcare delivery.

Ambassador Park, who is in Bulawayo for the official opening of the 66th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), said his visit was meant to give him a first-hand appreciation of the prevailing health situation and the extent to which the donated resources were improving access to quality care.

“I wanted to personally observe how the equipment we provided is being utilised and to understand the health needs on the ground. It is encouraging to see that the support is making a difference in people’s lives,” he said.
The ambassador noted that South Korea remains committed to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Zimbabwe, particularly in key sectors such as health, education and agriculture.

“Our focus is to continue supporting Zimbabwe in areas that directly benefit communities while also identifying and addressing existing gaps,” he said.

During the tour, Ambassador Park witnessed how the donated equipment has enhanced service delivery at Nkulumane Clinic, while the vehicle provided has become a critical asset in extending healthcare services beyond static facilities.

City health officials said the vehicle is currently being used for mobile health promotion programmes and has this week been deployed for a poliovirus vaccination outreach campaign targeting children.

The mass immunisation programme, which began on Monday, is set to end on Thursday and forms part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

Bulawayo City Council’s Health, Housing and Education Committee Chairperson, Councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo, expressed gratitude to the South Korean Government for the timely intervention.

“This support has gone a long way in improving our service delivery, particularly at primary healthcare level where demand is high,” she said.

Director of Health Services, Dr Edwin Mzingwane, echoed similar sentiments, noting that the donation had strengthened the city’s capacity to respond to public health needs.

He said the integration of the equipment across clinics has improved efficiency, while the vehicle has enhanced outreach programmes, ensuring that even hard-to-reach communities benefit from essential health services.