Online Reporter
Robin Muchetu in Lupane
AT least US$4 million is required to complete urgent works at Lupane Provincial Hospital, a major milestone that will see critical sections of the institution opening up in phases and servicing communities that have waited in apprehension and are enduring the costs of travelling to Bulawayo for medical services.
The massive project which commenced in November of 2004, is now nearing 80 percent completion with the contractor eyeing to complete and handover the institution in phases if there is funding availed towards the project.
Cost of the project
Presenting the state and scope of the project to the Special Advisor to the President on Monitoring, Implementation of Government Programmes and Projects Dr Jorun Gumbo in a report last week, an official from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works detailed what is needed at the hospital so that it opens to the public soon enough.
“The contract sum stands at US$59 941 874 and the total paid so far is US$10 440 838.08. The cost needed to complete targeted buildings and partial handover stands at US$4million which includes central stores, pharmacy, causality, outpatient department, administration block and junior staff houses,” said Mr Ndabezinhle Mazibuko; District Public Works Officer for Matabeleland North Province.
Stages completed so far
The report noted that a total of 14 buildings have so far been roofed and nine are outstanding.
“We have central stores that are 70 percent, pharmacy 65 percent, casualty 70 percent, junior staff housing 70 percent, Antenatal, 61 percent, post-natal 61 percent, labour wards 65 percent, maternity admissions 75 percent, substation 62 percent and the kitchen which is at 79 percent complete.
“The surgical ward is at 69 percent, Intensive Care Unit and operating theatre is at 59 percent, laundry block 80 percent, mortuary 70 percent, waiting shelter 75 percent complete,” said Mr Mazibuko.
Challenges presented
The report also highlighted challenges raised by the main contractor where delays in payments were named as a major setback.
“There has been downsized employment due to lack of funds for wages, lack of funds to procure fuel and pay water bills and the general running of the project. We need urgent release of funds to complete the project and also complete junior staff accommodation to ease the housing problems for Lupane Ministry of Health staff,” he added.
Government’s commitment
Dr Jorum Gombo who was in Matabeleland North Province to assess the progress of projects being undertaken by the Second Republic in the province acknowledged the funding constraints.
“While there is a lot of progress in the projects, I have discovered that there is a need for more funding to have the projects completed. The projects are very critical to provide services for the local people and they are excited about them. In our pursuit of human dignity and social justice, healthcare is a fundamental right, not a privilege. The Lupane Provincial Hospital Project is a flagship healthcare investment that sits at the very core of our social contract. With twenty-one buildings rapidly taking shape — many of which have proudly scaled past the sixty percent completion threshold — this facility is transforming from a blueprint into a life-saving reality,” he said.
Dr Gumbo said as the Government mobilises additional resources, upon its completion, Lupane Provincial Hospital will stand as a towering beacon of the nation’s resilience and a testament to its sacred duty to safeguard the health of every Zimbabwean.
He also expressed his displeasure over the lack of district and provincial hospitals.
“They use St Lukes as their district hospital. This is not good enough for a province like Matabeleland
North where a lot of activities are taking place, we have our tourist capital city, Victoria Falls and people in Lupane are not very far from there and not having a district or provincial hospital in the district does not augur well,” he added.
There is a need to expedite its completion so that people get the services that they need.
The alternative institution, and its pitfalls
Mr Richard Sithole the Provincial Health Services Administrator for Matabeleland North Province also weighed in saying the absence of a district and provincial hospital comes with its challenges.
“Matabeleland North is a unique province in the case of health services delivery, because we do not have a district or provincial hospital, we use St Luke’s Hospital run by the Roman Catholic Church. In terms of operations sometimes there are rules and regulations that missions adhere to that are different from the
Government, even on the payment structure,” he said.
He added: “You find that the Government requires that some services are not supposed to be paid for by patients but for missions, in terms of sustainability, you may find that they will be asking patients to pay for those services which means that sometimes we deprive our communities,”.
He further said the absence of a provincial hospital has also seen the province missing out on the allocation of funding from the Central Government that could have been benefiting the people in the province.
The specialist predicament
The province is also deprived of specialist services as there is no provincial hospital in operation yet.
“A provincial hospital, in terms of structures in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, is the level where we start to get specialised services. That is where we start to get specialist doctors. In terms of staff establishment, the Government has managed to give us treasury concurrence in employing specialists but unfortunately we do not have the infrastructure (hospital). At the end of the day we are doing a disservice to the community because if they need specialised services it means they have to travel to
Bulawayo where there are central hospitals so you find that the amount of time they spend, the expenses they have to incur if they go to Bulawayo are a lot,” he added.
“When we are talking of specialists at a central hospital, you cannot go and get treatment in one day, they have the expense of traveling to Bulawayo, looking for accommodation, they have to book the specialist too and the booking will take time. Moreso, specialist services at a central hospital are more expensive than at provincial hospital”.
He lamented the huge expenses that the communities in Matabeleland are faced with due to the absence of a functional hospital at the moment.
Priorities moving forward
“In terms of infrastructural development, we are at around 70 percent (complete), we are saying we are left with only 30 percent. We hope that, the 30 percent that is left or part of that, can be prioritised to complete the areas that we need to work on such that we start using the facility because we are afraid that it will end up being a white elephant,” said Mr Sithole.
“We understand that whenever a building is not occupied, it deteriorates faster than one that is being occupied, it starts developing cracks over time. We are kindly requesting if we can have the hospital functioning,” he said.
He further said with the province hosting the National Independence celebrations in 2027, the budget allocated towards improvements of the host province will also be directed towards the completion of the hospital.
Traditional leaders’ plea
Chief Mabhikwa, Zanele Khumalo, who was also part of the delegation that toured the hospital also made a passionate plea in asking for the renaming for the institution.
“I am kindly asking the Special Advisor to take this message forward, as traditional leaders, we are asking that when the Lupane Provincial Hospital is completed, it be renamed to Mabhikwa Provincial
Hospital in honour of my late grandfather. It will be such a befitting gesture if that is granted,” said the Chief.
