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Bulawayo Bureau
THE Government has constructed a state-of-the-art pharmacy at Plumtree District Hospital as the Second Republic steps up efforts to improve service delivery and access to healthcare across the country.
Improving healthcare in all its facets for the benefit of people ranks among the Government’s top priorities
Leaving no one and no place behind has become synonymous with the leadership of President Mnangagwa, who has made it a buzz phrase that has found resonance among the people in both rural and urban areas.
Under the national health strategy 2021-2025, Government has identified eleven strategic areas of focus to ensure good health outcomes for citizens as the country progresses towards an upper middle-income economy by 2030.
Government has also increased domestic funding for health to meet the 15 percent Abuja Declaration target and ultimately the US$84 per capita World Health Organisation (WHO) threshold.
The construction of the Plumtree District Hospital pharmacy is set to transform health service delivery in Bulilima and Mangwe districts.
The hospital also received incubators and resuscitation machines for newly born babies from the Rotary Club and Zimbabweans based in the diaspora.
One of the patients admitted to the hospital, Ms Marry Ndlovu said the construction of the pharmacy is a positive development as it will improve access to drugs.
“This hospital serves people from two districts (Bulilima and Mangwe) and people travel long distances to access healthcare facilities. The pharmacy will help us access all the drugs here without travelling long distances,” she said.
Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Dr Evelyn Ndlovu said Government is on a drive to transform the country’s health system by refurbishing hospitals and building pharmacies in major hospitals.
“I’m very impressed with what is happening at Plumtree District Hospital where Government has started renovating some of the buildings. We have completed a pharmacy and we are very grateful to the Second Republic for availing funds,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu said the construction of the pharmacy is going to transform the once marginalised rural health centres’ access to drugs, including those from Bulilima District, which has no hospital
“The population is growing and we need space for storage facilities and they are now being provided by this particular building. Bulilima does not have a district hospital so it relies on the facility in Mangwe. That is why Government felt the need to expand the pharmacy because of the population density within the two districts,” she said.
Dr Ndlovu also lauded the Rotary Club and Zimbabweans living in the diaspora for donating medical equipment to the hospital.
“We have also seen donations from the diaspora working with the Rotary clubs outside the country and the local clubs from Bulawayo and Plumtree. We are very grateful to our people that when they go out of the country they still remember where they come from by giving back to the community,” she said.
“They have done a great job by donating books to the schools and now they have donated incubators for newborn babies at Plumtree District Hospital.”
Matabeleland South provincial medical director, Dr Andrew Muza said the newly constructed pharmacy will help in managing their medical supplies.
He said it will also act as a storage unit for rural health service centres in Bulilima and Mangwe districts
“We have had pharmacies that are being constructed by Government and its partners. These structures are going to help us improve our capacity and manage our medical supplies. We have had challenges with space generally in the province,” said Dr Muza.
“Here in Plumtree, we have a small pharmacy, and this additional space that we have will improve the operational efficiency of our logistic supply chain systems. This is going to improve our service delivery as we are going to be able to store more drugs including those that might need to be further distributed to primary health care services.”
Dr Muza said the donated incubators and resuscitation machines are going to help reduce the child mortality rate.
“We have been working with partners in the province, the Rotary Club has donated some incubators which are used to resuscitate children after delivery. These are the things that we need to equip our institutions with to improve birth outcomes,” he said.
“We are hopeful that we are going to reduce our death rates for children.”
Online Reporter