Chronicle Editor
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
THE newly-commissioned Mberengwa Maternity Ward has brought services closer to expecting mothers in the district.
Most pregnant women used to travel to either Bulawayo or Zvishavane for maternal health care.
Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri on Tuesday officially commissioned the state-of-the-art maternity ward in Ward 2.
The maternity ward was constructed by artisans from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) with the community and local legislator, Cde Tafanana Zhou playing a big role in mobilising resources.
Government and local mining company, Mimosa Mining Company also assisted with resources.
Construction of the maternity ward which started in 2017, was at one time stalled by lack of resources before the Government and Mimosa Mining Company intervened.
Chief Mposi said the maternity ward had come as a relief to his subjects.
“This ward has come at the right time. Our women were travelling long distances to access gynaecological and postnatal health care services in towns such as Bulawayo or Gweru. Most of them ended up delivering along the way or having premature births,” said Chief Mposi.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri commended the ZDF for remaining committed to completing the project despite a number of challenges.
“We are here today to demonstrate our commitment as defence forces to supporting our masses or communities. This is your defence force and we have an obligation to uplift the people’s lives,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.
She said the opening of the maternity ward is expected to reduce infant mortality as expecting mothers will have services of gynaecologists and other specialists.
“All these specialist services which were done in Bulawayo at Mpilo (Central) Hospital or UBH (United Bulawayo Hospitals) are now being done here at the Mberengwa Maternity Ward which has also upgraded the status of this district hospital,” she said.
She commended the good civil military relations witnessed between Mberengwa community, District Hospital, Mimosa Mining Company, ZDF and other stakeholders.
“This is how we plough back to the communities that unremittingly support us during peacetime and war time. It is my sincere hope that this project helps cement the good rapport that exists between 5 Infantry Brigade and the communities in the Midlands Province as a whole,” she said.
Before the construction of the ward, expecting mothers would travel to Bulawayo or Gweru to access specialist materna health care.
The new ward has all the necessary facilities which include waiting rooms, Caesarean section, normal labour ward and a nurses work station amongst others.
The ZDF, through 5 Infantry Brigade which is based just outside Kwekwe, has embarked on a number of projects in the Midlands Province including the construction of Sherwood Clinic in Kwekwe, Polyclinic under construction in Shurugwi and Katema Clinic in Gokwe which has since been commissioned.
The Provincial Medical Director, Dr Mary Muchekeza said maternal deaths in the province had increased from 79 deaths per 100 000 births in 2018 to about 130 deaths per every 100 000 births in 2021.
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