Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
RESIDENTS of Manicaland can now access neurosurgery services locally following the appointment of a neurosurgeon at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital – marking a significant milestone in the province’s healthcare delivery system.
The development was revealed by the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr Hilary Makiwa, during a recent handover ceremony of medical equipment by Celebrate Health officials.
Dr Makiwa said the addition of a neurosurgeon is part of a broader transformation that has seen the hospital expand its specialist services over the past three years.
He said the hospital operated with only four specialist doctors serving the entire province.
“Up until about three years ago, we only had about four specialists – general surgeon, obstetrician and gynaecologist, and paediatrician – at the hospital serving the whole population,” he said, adding that a deliberate effort to strengthen specialist services has since yielded notable results.
“From about three years ago up until now, we have expanded the services and we now have about 13 specialist doctors.
“Obviously, they have also been supported by all the other services that are coming through,” said Dr Makiwa, adding that the latest addition, a neurosurgeon, is particularly significant.
“Neurosurgery deals with conditions affecting the brain, spine and nervous system.
“Previously, patients requiring such specialised interventions often had to travel outside the province, sometimes to Harare or beyond, incurring high costs and facing long waiting times.
“However, with our latest addition, who is a neurosurgeon, and has since started doing the surgical operations here, certain cases which would have required referral can now be managed locally,” said Dr Makiwa, stressing that the availability of neurosurgery services in Manicaland represents more than just the addition of a specialist but a broader strengthening of tertiary-level health care within the province.
“For patients suffering from head injuries, spinal conditions, tumours and other neurological disorders, the development means earlier interventions and improved outcomes,” he said.
Dr Makiwa said the expansion of specialist services has not occurred in isolation, emphasising the importance of partnerships in strengthening the hospital’s capacity.
“As much as we have our own doctors coming in and being part of our service provision, we have had to partner with a large number of other doctors from elsewhere,” he said, stressing that the strong presence of paediatric specialists who have supported the hospital’s services over the years.
“We have had a very robust presence of paediatricians in the hospital. They have come in and done quite a lot of work, and it has impacted the community and the province very, very strongly,” he said.
Dr Makiwa said last year alone, visiting paediatric surgeons conducted approximately 120 operations at the hospital.
Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital serves as the highest referral centre in the province, receiving patients from district and mission hospitals across Manicaland.
As such, the availability of specialised services at the institution directly impacts access to advanced medical care for the province’s population.
“Our hospital is the main referral hospital for the province.
“The province of Manicaland is populated by more than 2,2 million inhabitants. We have numerous hospitals and clinics throughout the province, but when cases become complicated, they are escalated and referred here. This whole growth is something that has been there, and we feel that it is getting to an exponential type of curve as we proceed,” he said.
