St Mary’s clinic closes

Victor Maphosa

Herald Reporter

Chitungwiza Municipality has closed St Mary’s clinic after seven health staff were infected by Covid-19, resulting in one death, and will reopen it when more staff are available.

Acting town clerk Dr Tonderai Kasu said that the town did not have enough health staff out of isolation to man all clinics.

“Over the last one week, seven Chitungwiza city health department frontline health workers have tested positive for Covid-19 and one of our frontline health workers died after previously having tested positive for Covid-19.

“We also now have a total of 21 of our frontline health workers that are currently in self-isolation because they are contacts of the positive cases,” he said.

Dr Kasu said even before the Covid-19 outbreak, Chitungwiza Municipality was already short-staffed with respect to health professionals, but situation has worsened in the absence of qualified health staff.

“As a result of the current severe staff shortages and with immediate effect, Chitungwiza Municipality will be temporarily closing one of its municipal clinics that is, St Mary’s Clinic,” said Dr Kasu.

However, the clinic shall remain open for emergency cases, while all non-emergency cases shall be attended to at Zengeza Clinic.

The dormitory town’s mayor, Clr Lovemore Maiko has tested positive for the pandemic and recently urged people to stay safe, while also advising those he had been in contact with to get tested.