Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
GWANDA Municipality in conjunction with development partners has resumed work on the construction of Spitzkop Clinic, a project that was stopped 20 years ago due to a lack of funds.
The development is set to improve health care services in the Matabeleland provincial capital. The project, which the local authority is funding through devolution funds, re-started last year in November.
Gwanda Municipality has since engaged local business people to assist in funding the project. Gwanda Tshitaudze legislator Cde Fisani Moyo and local businessmen, Mr Charles Kunjani and Mr Lungisani Ncube are among the people that have pooled resources to fund the project.
In an interview yesterday during a tour of the project site, Gwanda mayor, Alderman Thulani Moyo said the new clinic will help to decongest Phakama Clinic, which is grappling with a growing population.
“This project has stalled for a very long time. We planned to have the Spitzkop Satellite Clinic as a way of trying to decongest Phakama Clinic, which is the only clinic which we have in the town,” he said.
“We realised that Spitzkop area is densely populated hence we saw it fit that we set up a clinic there. Last year, we managed to do some works through devolution funds.”
Alderman Moyo said they had put the project on hold as they focused on the construction of Phakama Primary School.
“We engaged the business community and we are now working with the MP for Gwanda Tshitaudze Constituency Cde Fisani Moyo, Mr Charles Kunjani and Mr Lungisani Ncube who have come in to assist, so that we speed up the project,” he said.
Alderman Moyo said their target is to complete the clinic by end of this month. He said the council’s engineering department is set to start working on the water and sewer connections.
The health care sector is one of the major pillars under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
“It’s important for us as council to complete this clinic timeously as an improved health care service is one of our key deliveries and a major pillar under NDS1. The town has grown in terms of population hence services and social amenities should match this growth,” said Alderman Moyo.
He said the local authority will continue to engage partners to complement them in terms of development. Alderman Moyo urged members of the business community including other key stakeholders to contribute in developing the town.
A local resident, Ms Elina Ncube said once complete, Spitzkop Clinic will address their plight in terms of access to healthcare.
“It’s always a challenge to visit the clinic because of the long distance. The clinic is usually congested because it services a lot of people,” she said.
“We spend the greater part of the day in queues. At least, we will now have a clinic in our locality, which is a huge relief for us as residents.”—@DubeMatutu
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