Mphoko donates to Nkayi Hospital

Bulawayo Bureau
VICE President Phelekezela Mphoko has donated 84 bags of rice and 10 blood glucometers to Nkayi District Hospital.

A blood glucose meter is a medical device for determining the approximate concentration of glucose in the blood for people with diabetes which also helps them to manage their condition.

VP Mphoko said the donation, which would go a long way in alleviating food shortages, would be shared between the local community and the hospital.

During his tour of the hospital on Sunday, VP Mphoko expressed concern over challenges faced by patients, which include an acute shortage of drugs coupled with non-functional washing machines.

Nkayi acting district medical officer Dr Heron Dube said the hospital’s maternity ward continued to be overwhelmed with a ballooning number of expecting mothers resulting in overcrowding in the shelters.

“The ward has a capacity to accommodate 24 people at any given time, but due to the ever increasing number of expecting mothers being admitted, the number can go up to 100. Presently we have 64 pregnant women waiting to deliver and that is a big challenge for us,” said Dr Dube.

VP Mphoko, who was visiting Nkayi district for the first time since his appointment, said the Government has also put in place modalities for the rehabilitation of the Nkayi-Bulawayo road.

“This is my first visit to Nkayi district since my appointment as VP. I have toured all the 10 provinces in the country to get first-hand information on the challenges facing our people. There is a lot that we can do for the people of Nkayi particularly looking at the poor road network.

“The programme to construct the road is on course and quite a number of things have been done and I can assure you that the Government is working towards addressing the problem,” he said.

VP Mphoko also said there was a need to put up 600 hectares of land under irrigation in Ward 6 of the district to alleviate food shortages.

“We need to put at least 600 hectares of land in Ward Six to be irrigated so that we address the problem of poverty and starvation,” he said.