dyton mupawaenda
Trust Freddy-Herald Correspondent
After 100 years of service, St Paul’s Musami Mission Hospital in Mashonaland East is set to get a major facelift, as the Second Republic has pledged to refurbish the facilities, provide an ambulance, X-ray machines, solar back-up, an industrial laundry machine and dedicated power line to ensure there are no power cuts.
Five boreholes have already been drilled to provide a reliable water supply as the Government walks the talk on its promise of leaving no one and no place behind.
The donation satisfies a pledge made by President Mnangagwa last year during the centennial celebration of St Paul’s Musami Mission Hospital where he was represented by Dr Aplonia Munzverengwi, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East.
As promised, President Mnangagwa dispatched Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora last Friday to assess the challenges being encountered at the hospital and resolve them.
After touring the hospital, Minister Mombeshora said he had seen their challenges and that there was already a number of medical supplies on hand, including an ambulance.
All the hospital needed to do was submit an official request to have the donated items delivered.
“Having listened to their grievances we have actually given them an ambulance because they actually reach out to about eight clinics and some of the roads are very difficult to manoeuvre so we have given them one fully equipped ambulance.
“Secondly, for them to operate such a big hospital without a functioning X-ray is very difficult so we have given them that equipment. The X-ray is there at NatPharm and what we have asked them is to renovate the house where the X-ray will be put and once that is done, the machine will be installed and it will be functioning,” he said.
Government remained committed to the hospital and would continue work to ensure it meets the healthcare needs of the community. “They also need autoclave equipment and laundry equipment so we have asked them to find quotations and then we should be able to assist them. We are also looking at incineration and autoclave equipment and we are hoping that by the end of the year we will actually have given them an autoclave machine.”
In addition to the medical supplies, the Minister said they were working on ensuring that St Paul’s Musami Mission Hospital had continuous power supply.
“We also put them on priority to have a dedicated ZESA line because as we speak they have five days without electricity and we have also asked our engineers to look at having solar power installed.”
Father Eugene Phiri, the local responsible authority for St Paul’s Musami Mission, expressed gratitude to President Mnangagwa for honouring his promise.
“We are really overjoyed by the coming of the Minister following the centenary celebrations of St Paul’s Musami Mission on 4 November 2023.”
“His Excellency (the President) whom we had invited, could not make it but he received our request and he was enthused and he sent his Minister on how he could assist the Mission and I am happy that the Minister is keen to work with us.”
Health Commission Coordinator of the Archdiocese of Harare Mrs Agnes Chabikwa said the church and Government play an integral role when it comes to health delivery.
“We are assuring you that we will actually be giving you updates on progress when we receive the ambulance, autoclave machines and we will clearly document our need for accommodation,” she said.
For the people of Mashonaland East, this is a much-needed and long-awaited gift.
The hospital has 18 departments and a 150-bed inpatient department.
It also has eight satellite clinics and serves a designated catchment area with a population of about 17 457 people consisting mainly of rural peasant farmers.
It is a referral centre for four clinics within the catchment area and the operational catchment area per people served is 50 017 people.
Online Reporter