Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Health Reporter
PATIENT care at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital is set to improve significantly following the handover of the Hospital LED Lighting Retrofit Project by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) on Wednesday.
Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, emphasised that the new lighting system will create a safer and more conducive environment for saving lives.
He highlighted that reliable and efficient power is essential to modern healthcare delivery, noting that the installation of advanced LED lighting will directly enhance service provision at the provincial referral hospital.
“By retrofitting this hospital with modern light-emitting diode technology, we are ensuring that the medical professionals here have the best possible environment to save lives. High-quality lighting reduces clinical errors, improves staff alertness and provides a sense of security and dignity for patients during their most vulnerable moments. For the people of Manicaland, this means that the quality of care received at this provincial referral centre has just taken a significant leap forward,” said Minister Mugadza, adding that the project is expected to transform working conditions for medical staff, especially during night duty, while also improving patient comfort.
Minister Mugadza said the development showed that the Second Republic is committed to practical interventions that touch people’s lives as the project represents the critical link between the energy and health sectors.
“We gather here, not merely to switch on lights, but to witness a tangible manifestation of a Government at work. From the cooling of life-saving vaccines to the operation of sophisticated diagnostic equipment and the illumination of surgical theatres, energy remains at the core of health excellence,” said Minister Mugadza, adding that the initiative also fitted into the country’s broader economic vision under President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.
“His Excellency, the President has set a clear mandate for Zimbabwe to become an upper middle income economy by 2030. Such an economy requires a healthy workforce and a clean economy,” he said, aligning the project with the National Development Strategy and Sustainable Development Goals by improving healthcare conditions, promoting energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
The LED lighting consumes between 60 and 80 percent less electricity than conventional bulbs, resulting in lower utility bills and maintenance costs. Minister Mugadza said choosing Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital was deliberate, as Government is pushing for decentralised development and ensuring that no community is left behind.
“Whether a person lives in the busy streets of Harare or the beautiful valleys of Honde Valley, you deserve access to modern and efficient public services,” he said.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Dr Gloria Magombo, said the project is evidence that Government policies are now being translated into action.
“This project is not merely about changing light bulbs. It is a direct, tangible implementation of our energy efficiency policy programme. A lot of policies have been promulgated before, but with the Second Republic, it is all about implementation,” said Dr Magombo, further highlighting that reducing wasted electricity is just as important as generating new power, describing energy efficiency as the country’s first fuel.
She said every kilowatt saved can be redirected to productive sectors such as industry, education and health.
“We cannot simply rely on building new power plants alone. We must also reduce demand on the existing system,” she said.
Dr Magombo said hospitals stand to benefit financially through lower electricity bills, freeing resources for medicines, staff welfare and other urgent healthcare needs.
“When you are now using lighting that uses far less energy than before, you are saving money. Those resources can then move to other important things like medicines and critical care,” she said, adding that better lighting will improve morale among staff and patients.
“We believe that by improving the ambience, people will heal better and stay healthier. It will also enhance the morale of those taking care of patients and the patients themselves,” she said.
ZERA board chairperson, Dr Engineer Farai Mavhiya-Bhiza, said the authority remains committed to use energy efficiency projects to improve public service delivery.
He was represented by his deputy, Retired Colonel Morgan Mudzinganyama.
“As ZERA, being a corporate citizen and regulator of the energy sector, it is our responsibility to support sustainability and minimise wastage in the country,” he said, adding that Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital is the fifth hospital to benefit under the programme after Mpilo, Harare Children’s, Chinhoyi and Gweru provincial hospitals.
Retired Colonel Mudzinganyama said the Mutare project cost US$65 378 and involved the installation of 2 134 lighting units throughout the hospital – an intervention expected to reduce the institution’s total energy consumption by 12,2 percent, while lowering demand from about 160kilowatts to around 140kilowatts.
The new lighting system will also reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint and maintenance costs because LED lights last longer and emit less heat. VCPH medical superintendent, Dr Hilary Makiwa, said for patients and health workers, the project marks more than an energy upgrade, but a brighter step towards safer, more efficient and more dignified healthcare in Manicaland.
