admin
Blessing Malinganiza and Talent Gore
Harare City Council has upgraded Mabvuku Polyclinic into a hospital after equipping it with state of-the-art ultra sound scans, radiological services as well as introducing Caesarian operations. The hospital, which will operate round the clock, will also offer minor surgeries and dental services. The project, which began in 2015, has seen the addition of 10 more consulting rooms, a theatre, two more delivery rooms, extra maternity beds, a pharmacy, X-ray unit, laboratory and dental unit.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa toured the hospital on Monday and expressed satisfaction with the improvements.
The upgrade was funded by ZimHealth, a non-governmental organisation of doctors based in Switzer- land.
Dr Parirenyatwa said Government wanted to revitalise primary health care and give communities adequate health care.
“Mabvuku will offer most of the services that are offered at Harare Central Hospital or Parirenyatwa Hospital, for example doing Caesarian operations, dental services, laboratory services, manipulating fractures and other radiology services,” he said.
“If a person encounters a problem while in, let’s say, Kuwadzana, it is not necessary for that person to go to Harare Hospital for an X-ray. We want those services to be in our areas so that we won’t waste time.”
Harare City Health director Dr Prosper Chonzi said the hospital would go a long way in assisting residents from Mabvuku and nearby areas seeking specialist services.
He said the availability of Caesarian sections would see pregnant women getting instant help when complications arose.
This, Dr Chonzi said, was in line with Government’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
“Mabvuku Polyclinic was built some time ago, and it was catering for a very small population but now the population has increased dramatically, hence a lot more women with complications are now being referred to Parirenyatwa or Harare hospitals,” he said.
“Since Parirenyatwa Hospital caters for women who have been referred from other districts, it might take time to get specialist attention. The City of Harare has doctors who are prepared to come and work here and do all those operations. The advantage of this is that everything is now done in the community at an affordable rate.”
ZimHealth representative Dr Francis Ndowa said they were excited to be part of an initiative aimed at saving lives.
“We will continue to partner with you, if there are any other opportunities either locally or outside the country,” he said.
“We still need to operationalise it (the hospital) and get more resources to make sure that we have enough drugs and sundries to run the facility.”
One of the partners, Dr Daniel Mukuto, died before the completion of the project, and the maternity ward has since been named after him.
ZimHealth has engaged renowned musician Oliver Mtukudzi to stage a show aimed at raising funds to put final touches on the hospital.
Dr Ndowa said the show would be held on November 17 in Geneva.
“The show is already sold out in Geneva, and we are really excited and hoping that he holds another show for us but ideally, I would appreciate to have four such facilities in the City of Harare in each corner,” he said.
Online Reporter