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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
A NEW investor has been identified to transform Ekusileni Medical Centre into a specialist research and medical hospital under the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) Medical School.
The National Social Security Authority (Nssa) has been directed to finance the transformative project, which will see Ekusileni becoming a specialist medical training centre post-Covid-19.
The pensions authority has also indicated plans to set up a new general clinic service in the city dedicated to provide free services for its members.
The Ekusileni upgrade project is part of the Government’s efforts to provide world-class training for doctors locally while improving the quality of health care delivery.
The project buttresses Nust’s vision of becoming a highly specialised cardiac, renal and respiratory care (surgical and medical) service provider.
Currently these services are not being offered in the country and Zimbabweans lose millions of dollars travelling abroad for such specialised treatment.
At the moment, Ekusileni is handling Covid-19 patients and the second phase of its transformation will result in it becoming a centre for medical excellence.
In an interview, Nssa general manager Mr Arthur Manase said an investor has been identified to change Ekusileni Medical Centre into a specialist research and training hospital run by Nust.
He said the investor, whose identity could not be revealed for contractual issues, is expected to provide the hospital with modern health equipment necessary for a standard quality health care facility.
“There will be a lot of developments in the near future regarding that (project). In fact, there is a lot that is happening behind the scenes,” said Mr Manase.
“An investor has indeed been identified and currently the Government process is taking place where that investor will eventually be unearthed for the public to see. Yes, the project, will be fully resourced.
“It will be fully grown into an international training institution of repute and this will be done between Nssa, working together with Government through the Ministry of Health and Child Care and working together with the identified financier who will take care of the project inception.”
Nust has already identified technical teams that will work towards transforming the hospital into a specialist medical training institution.
Statistics already indicate that Zimbabwe has approximately a ratio of 1,6 physicians and 7,2 nurses for every 10 000 people, making specialist healthcare services out of reach for many.
Thus, Nust envisages Ekusileni becoming the crux of medical tourism to generate foreign currency for the country and provide essential services for locals at affordable costs. Medical tourism results when foreigners visit a country for medical services.
India and South Africa are among the countries benefiting from traffic from Zimbabwe as they have better facilities to treat most ailments at affordable costs.
As such, Mr Manase said the transformation of Ekusileni is not the only medical related project the parastatal was working on as it has set its eyes towards establishing a health care facility for pensioners.
“We are going to be opening a pensioner’s staff clinic in Bulawayo in what is called the Eye Clinic. We are building it up as a modern medical facility, which will benefit pensioners in Bulawayo and the region.
“They will be able to get free access to medication, free access to chronic drugs and we are going to make sure that through that initiative, our pensioners in this region enjoy a healthy life,” said Mr Manase.
The Eye Clinic is located along Samuel Parirenyatwa Street between 8th and 9th Avenue.
Nssa pensioners chairperson Mr Winos Dube said the pensions authority has engaged them with regards to establishing a clinic.
“We think that this is something that pensioners will be looking forward to. To have a facility that will take care and give medical assistance to pensioners,” he said.
“It is a noble one and we have been crying for that one. Last week the Nssa management was here and they showed us a site where the clinic would be built in Bulawayo.
“This is a welcome move that we want to see becoming a reality and when it is put in place, we would want to see pensioners benefiting because pensioners are really struggling as far as access to medical care is concerned.”
Most of the pensioners suffer from chronic illnesses and do not have adequate finances to cater for their medical needs.
“What is being paid to pensioners is very insignificant and it does not assist them to have medical aid.
“Most pensioners and most pension schemes had their finances eroded when the country experienced a hyper inflationary environment some years back,” said Mr Dube.
Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director Mr Itai Rusike commended Nssa for coming up with strategies that will support the health care of pensioners.
“I think it will make sense for Nssa to come up and invest in existing health facilities. It can come up with an arrangement whereby the pensioners will have health access pension cards, just like medical aid companies do and then health facilities can claim from Nssa,” said Mr Rusike.
“But the initiative is very welcome and it is commendable that Nssa is thinking about their pensioners in terms of access to services.
“Maybe Nssa needs to consult more in terms of the approach and strategy in terms of serving the pensioners so that we do not distort the services that we have in the country,” he said.
Already the health sector is losing a lot of manpower as workers are migrating to greener pastures. — @nqotshili
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