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Fatima Bulla-Musakwa in Bulawayo
THE United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) has established a family health centre that has seen an increase in institutional deliveries and better survival chances for mothers and their babies.
Established through the Health Resilience Fund, the centre has been operational since January last year and has helped decongest UBH, which is turning out to be the go-to medical institution for those seeking medical services in the province.
Government injected US$150 000, while the United Nations Population Fund contributed US$250 000 through the HRF to improve maternal health.
The governments of Britain and Ireland and the European Union, GAVI and the Vaccine Alliances support the HRF.
Through the funding, the hospital now has two operational maternity theatres and a 12-bed recovery room for pregnant women.
This has enabled the hospital to cut waiting time for women undergoing C-section from a week to being operated on instantly.
UBH acting Clinical Director, Dr Trust Mushawarima, said the HRF and its implementing partners had provided infrastructure and anaesthetic equipment to cater for the increasing number of patients.
“We also received a vehicle through the same programme, which is delivering surgical sundries to the facility. We have benefited a lot from HRF, it has transformed how we do business at this institution,” Dr Mushawarima said.
The HRF is a coordinated effort by the Government and development partners that are supporting the Ministry of Health and Child Care in attaining universal health coverage.
“We would like to have a new structure and more staff to cater for more women. But as of now we are trying our level best to cater for pregnant women. In a day we can actually do up to 20 deliveries,” the health centre’s Sister-in-Charge Venencia Mubobo said.
Technical support is being provided by UNFPA, United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Online Reporter