MSU receives medical school equipment

Lovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
MIDLANDS State University’s (MSU) journey towards establishing a medical school has received a major boost following a donation of medical equipment and research material worth $18,000 from a local non-governmental organisation, World Vision.

The donation included medical examination beds, disposable protective underwear, plastic basins, bogies, catheters, drains and various medical kits.

MSU intends to become the third medical school in the country after the University of Zimbabwe in Harare and the National University of Science and Technology in Bulawayo.

The institution intends to enrol its first students next year and will offer the Bachelor of Medicine degree as an affiliate of the University of Zimbabwe.

MSU Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Kadmiel Hwekwete received the equipment on behalf of the institution yesterday.

She said: “The medical equipment donated by World Vision will go a long way in helping us to produce a fully equipped and well polished medical student. We’re grateful for the continued relationship which exists between the University and World Vision.”

Acting Operations Manager of World Vision, Sibongile Damasane, in her handover remarks, pledged that her organisation would continue working with the university.

She said World Vision would intervene in areas that would benefit the community, especially children.

“We’ll continue working with Midlands State University as part of our efforts to ensure that we support a reading culture and resourcing tertiary institutions libraries and laboratories,” said Damasane.

The university has already purchased state-of-the-art medical equipment from China to be used not only for teaching and research but also medical tests on patients.

Once operational, medical specimens from the province, which are sent to Harare and Bulawayo, will be dealt with at the MSU medical faculty, a development which will go a long way in enhancing the health service delivery system in the province.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa last year urged the university to come up with packages and incentives that attract medical specialists to Gweru Provincial Hospital where some of the MSU medical school lectures would be conducted.