Matabeleland North receives five ambulances

Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter

MATEBELALEND North province on Monday received an allocation of five ambulances as part of government’s commitment towards improving health service delivery in the province.

Bubi, Nkayi, Umguza districts received one ambulance each while Binga received two.

Handing over the ambulances, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in Matabeleland North Province Cde Richard Moyo said the donation would go a long way in improving health delivery in the province.

“This donation that includes five ambulances, will go a long way in improving service delivery in our health institutions and province at large. The gesture by President Mnangagwa is an assurance of the commitment by the new dispensation to see efficiency in the health service delivery. The Second Republic continues to be seized with efforts to improve the health care service delivery so that we have accessible health care systems as a country,” said Minister Moyo.

He said the ambulances came at a time when they are desperately needed.

“The hospitals in Matabeleland North Province currently refer patients to Bulawayo where there are central hospitals which are far away from our districts, for example the distance from Binga Hospital to Bulawayo is 450 kilometers. These ambulances will assist a lot in transferring for further management and it is my hope that the availability of the ambulances will go a long way in reducing maternal and prenatal and infant mortality. Let me therefore take this opportunity to thank UNFPA for its continued support in the health sector and we applaud government for improving our health sector,” said the Minister.

Speaking at the same occasion, Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director Dr Admire Kuretu expressed his gratitude describing it as a shot in the arm.

“I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Zimbabwe for listening to our plea to improve our fleet of ambulances in the province. The five ambulances are going to go a long way in ensuring that we do not get delays from getting patients from one level to the next. This is a welcome development and we are hoping that we will get more ambulances for the rest of the districts the other three districts that have not received so that we are adequately covered in patients transfer,” said Dr Kuretu.

Recently Beitbridge, Filabusi, Plumtree and Umzingwane districts in Matabeleland South Province also received ambulances. This means 9 of the 14 districts in Matabeleland South and North have so far benefited with the second allocation soon to benefit the rest of the districts.