Vusumuzi Dube
Mukudzei Chingwere in Checheche, Chipinge District
President Mnangagwa is this morning expected in Checheche where he will officially handover an ambulance and an assortment of medical equipment at St Peter’s Checheche Catholic Mission Hospital before proceeding to Mutema Secondary School in Chipinge District for the hugely anticipated launch of the revolutionary Zanu PF election manifesto.
Today’s handover is in sync with the broader national health strategy under which the Second Republic is championing the revamping and modernisation of the national health structure towards universal health coverage of quality consistent with an upper-middle income economy.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Air Commodore Dr Jasper Chimedza is here in Checheche ahead of the President’s expected arrival for the handover ceremony.
“I can confirm that we are expecting His Excellency the President Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and the Honourable Vice President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga here this morning,” said Air Commodore Dr Chimedza.
“This is an enormous occasion in Government’s quest to take quality health services and all its specialties and services right to the people’s doorstep,” said Air Commodore Dr Chimedza.
St Peter’s Checheche has recently undergone a major facelift with Government coming in handy in the uplift using devolution funds as per President Mnangagwa’s thrust of taking development to all corners of the country through his “leaving no place and no one behind” mantra.
The donation and work done on the hospital will be a huge fillip for the facility in its quest to serve its catchment area estimated to be around 20 000.
Before the latest Government intervention, the hospital had an 85-bed capacity but President Mnangagwa is today expected to announce the opening of more beds.
The ambulance services has been getting particular attention from Government since the coming on board of the Second Republic in 2017.
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga is ‘on record saying Government appreciates that the national health strategy will not be achieved if the country doesn’t have an efficient ambulance system through which patients can be efficiently transferred.
Under the strategy, Government has established a National Ambulance Directorate and is also moving away from mere “Ambulance” marked vehicles to state-of-the-art fully equipped ambulances complete with manned intensive care units.
As part of capacitating the National Ambulance Directorate, Government also establishment the Accident and Emergency Nursing School in Chivhu which will work very closely with the ambulance directorate.
Online Reporter