Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa Senior Reporter
MULTITUDES of people yesterday gathered in Kadoma to witness the grand opening of Zimbabwe’s first-ever private nurses’ training institution, the Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa School of
Nursing, which is expected to strengthen the country’s nursing workforce and improve healthcare delivery.
The school, named in honour of First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, was officially opened by the First Lady herself, who described nurses as the backbone of Zimbabwe’s healthcare system and praised their dedication to saving lives and providing quality patient care.
The opening comes as Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora applauded the initiative and called on private-sector players to do the same to help complement Government’s work to strengthen healthcare delivery.
The colourful ceremony drew nursing students, health professionals, community members and other stakeholders, who gathered to witness the milestone in the development of nursing education in Kadoma.
Dr Mnangagwa began proceedings by unveiling a plaque before touring the institution, gaining a first-hand appreciation of the facilities and interacting with students and nursing staff.
She later officially opened the school and commended its proprietor and director, Mr Jimayi Muduvuri, for honouring her by naming the institution after her.
The Health and Child Care Ambassador, Dr Mnangagwa, who consistently supports health institutions across the country, also donated nursing equipment for use during training, including an assortment of health accessories, beds, medical supplies and foodstuffs, to strengthen the institution’s capacity to train nurses.
Addressing the oversubscribed gathering, Dr Mnangagwa described nurses as the cornerstone of the country’s healthcare system, underscoring their indispensable role in delivering quality care and saving lives.
“It is important for one to be conscious of what truly defines a nurse as they are the backbone of the healthcare system. They are the first point of contact, as well as the constant presence at the bedside and the bridge between patients, families, doctors and all other health practitioners.
“So, when we invest in nurse training, we are investing in life itself, in dignity, in care and in the well-being of our people,” she said.
The First Lady added: “Compassion should be at the heart of service, and where our people are cared for with dignity. This is why this occasion is so important. The opening of the Dr Auxillia
Mnangagwa School of Nursing is not just about infrastructure. It is about a vision for our country.”
To the students, Dr Mnangagwa implored them to have a clear purpose for pursuing nursing, saying the profession demands more than academic excellence.
“This profession you have chosen will require discipline, strong ethics, compassion, and a deep respect for human life. Your character will define you far more than your certificates ever will.
Patients may forget the medicine you administer, but they will always remember how you treated them, how you spoke to them, and how you made them feel.
“I would like to implore the students to work hard, remain disciplined, and serve with humility. Musauya pano kuzotamba. Vana mai nana baba kumusha vakatotarisira imi. Nesuvo tine tarisiro huru kwamuri. I would also like to encourage the institution to uphold excellence and integrity, as well as the standard of quality education.”
Dr Mnangagwa said her interactions with communities, clinics and families across the country had shown her that Zimbabweans needed healthcare that went beyond medical treatment and addressed their emotional and human needs.
“I have travelled across our country, meeting our people in communities, clinics and homes. And everywhere I go, one thing becomes clear: our people need care that goes beyond treatment.
“They need kindness, empathy and human connection. That is why nursing is not just a profession. It is a calling. It is about service, love and humanity,” she said.
Dr Mnangagwa also urged the community to safeguard the facility against vandalism and ensure it remained a centre of learning and healthcare development.
The First Lady also commended Cde Jimayi Muduvuri for naming the institution after her, while thanking him and his team for taking the bold step of investing in people and complementing Government efforts to strengthen the healthcare delivery system.
“To the proprietor of this institution, VaMuduvuri, let me speak to you candidly but with great appreciation. Firstly, I wish to sincerely thank you for the honour you have bestowed upon me by naming this pioneering pilot private nursing school after me.
“I do not take this recognition lightly. It is a profound gesture, and I am truly humbled that you have chosen to associate my name with such an important and transformative initiative in our health sector,” she said.
Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa School of Nursing director Mr Muduvuri said the new nursing school currently has 50 students.
Mr Muduvuri said he was motivated to establish the facility as a gesture of gratitude to the First Family following the support he received when he was at risk of losing his legs through amputation.
He said the compassionate President and First Lady stood by him during that difficult period, enabling him to establish health institutions across the country and playing a pivotal role in shaping his journey in the health sector.
“I was inspired by the First Family to start this school. I looked at everything and realised that I could not have done all this without their support. Hence, I named this institution after our First Lady, Dr Mnangagwa,” he said.
“I have worked closely with the health sector, and my wish is to extend to others the same support I received,” he said.
Mr Muduvuri said he had also established several other health institutions, which would not have been possible without the support he received from the First Family.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the opening of the Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa School of Nursing marked an important step towards increasing private-sector participation in the training of nurses.
He said the institution would serve as a pilot through which Government would assess how accredited private institutions could complement public training institutions by providing additional infrastructure, investment and training capacity.
Dr Mombeshora said the initiative was important as nurses remained central to the country’s healthcare system, serving patients in hospitals, clinics and communities.
“As Government works towards achieving Universal Health Coverage and improving health outcomes, we must also ensure that we have the human resources required to deliver these services.
Nurses remain at the heart of our health system,” he said.
Minister Mombeshora said Government was working towards doubling the health workforce by 2030, making increased training capacity essential to achieving the target.
He said Government remained committed to expanding health workforce training, working with both public and private institutions, while ensuring that quality and professional standards were never compromised.
Dr Mombeshora stressed that expanding the number of nurses should go hand in hand with maintaining quality, ethics and professional standards.
“As a pilot, we will pay close attention to the quality of instruction, clinical exposure, teaching capacity, infrastructure and, most importantly, the competence and professional conduct of the graduates produced,” he said.
“The principle is very clear: whether a nurse is trained in a public or private institution, the standard must be the same.”
Dr Mombeshora said Government would continue providing policy direction, regulation, accreditation, standards and oversight, while private-sector partners could complement these efforts through investment and infrastructure.
He said a successful pilot would provide valuable lessons as Government considered wider private-sector participation in health workforce development.
Turning to the student nurses, Dr Mombeshora said the profession required not only knowledge, discipline and competence, but also values that matched the responsibility entrusted to nurses.
“As you always teach us, Your Excellency, nursing is not only about the knowledge and skills we acquire. It is also about having a good heart, showing compassion and treating every patient with dignity and respect. It is about tsika nehunhu,” he said.
“I am confident that these principles will remain at the heart of the training provided at this school.”
Student nurse Blessing Vutata said she was delighted by the opening of the Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa School of Nursing, saying the institution had provided her with an opportunity to pursue her long-held ambition of becoming a nurse.
“I am very happy that the school has been opened. I had been looking for an opportunity to study nursing, and I am grateful to have been given this chance. This institution has given us an opportunity to pursue our dreams and build meaningful careers in healthcare,” she said.
Another student nurse, Moreblessing Buka, said she was equally excited about the opening of the school, which she said had created opportunities for young people.
Buka said nursing was more than simply acquiring an academic qualification, as it allowed students to serve and make a difference in the lives of others.
“For years, we had been hoping and waiting for an opportunity to study nursing, but now our dream has become a reality.
“We are grateful for this opportunity because nursing is not just about studying; it is about gaining skills that enable us to serve our communities and save lives,” she said.
Senior Medical Specialist Dr Cummins Hove said medical professionals were supporting the initiative because they had witnessed the First Lady’s commitment to reaching vulnerable communities and restoring dignity to people in need.
“What brings us here is that we are feeling the love and commitment that the First Lady is showing in supporting the nation. We find her in some of the most hard-to-reach areas, trying to restore dignity to people who have fallen through the cracks because of hardships or neglect, particularly those who are socially disadvantaged,” he said.
Dr Hove said the First Lady’s work reflected the philosophy that no one and no place should be left behind.
“As medical professionals, we are deeply touched by this work. Our duty is to protect every human life because life is sacred and valuable in the eyes of God. We have found in the First Lady a mother who embodies that love,” he said.
He said 16 medical specialists had joined the initiative to support the First Lady’s health programmes, including cancer awareness, early detection and healthy lifestyles.
“We have neurosurgeons, physicians, radiologists, orthopaedic surgeons and paediatricians, among other specialists. We are here to support her initiatives and ensure that vulnerable members of society, including the elderly, war veterans and people living with disabilities, receive the care they deserve,” he said.
Dr Hove said the First Lady was also encouraging Zimbabweans to embrace traditional foods and indigenous knowledge as part of healthier lifestyles.
“She is encouraging us to restore our culture and go back to eating our traditional foods because some of these foods can help prevent some of the diseases, including cancers, that we encounter today,” he said.
“She is truly a mother to all of us, and vulnerable people have a mother in her,” he said.
As Health and Child Care Ambassador, Dr Mnangagwa continues to champion the well-being of all citizens and has also launched the First Lady’s Traditional Medicinal Herbs Programme, promoting the responsible use of indigenous medicines.
