Chronicle Editor
Canditar Chapanduka, Chronicle Reporter
A PRIVATE clinic has opened in Plumtree to offer specialist services that were not available in the town and three doctors will be attending patients, with plans afoot to establish a similar facility in Nkayi.
Bulawayo Medical Group (BMG) Clinic is the first private clinic in Plumtree.
The medical group opened its first centre in Bulawayo last year and its Plumtree branch is the second medical facility run by the group.
The directors of BMG are Dr Marshal Machingauta who is based in Sweden as a drug Researcher at Lund University and Mr Goodnow Machado who is a Pharmaceutical Engineer.
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Evelyn Ndlovu who is also Bulilima and Mangwe senator officially opened the medical facility in Plumtree on Saturday.
She said the 12-hour private clinic is going to complement Government efforts to provide health services.
“The clinic is going to relieve people on the issue of shortage of doctors because there are three doctors that will be assisting the medical centre. The issue of shortage of doctors in Plumtree hospital is now addressed and X-rays will be done that will save patients from travelling to Bulawayo for check-ups since they will be carried out at the clinic. The clinic has a dark room so images would be processed and clients attended to,” said Dr Ndlovu.
“There is also a pharmacy that is set for the community within the medical centre so there is now a one-stop shop where people can get medical attention and buy medicine.”
Dr Ndlovu commended BMG directors.
“I encourage them to open a laboratory in Plumtree in order to offer a full service and relieve pressure on Government,” he said.
Mr Machado said they established the medical facility to ensure that medical services are quickly accessible to the people of Plumtree.
He said patients used to travel from Plumtree to Bulawayo for some services.
“The number of patients that were coming to our medical centre in Bulawayo from Plumtree for scans and X-rays became worrisome to us and we realised that Plumtree District Hospital is not currently offering those services,” he said.
“We have also identified Lupane as another place without services. The communities are not adequately serviced and that’s our next targeted area for opening of a medical centre that will assist people in the area.” – @NomqheleC
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