Chronicle Editor
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
CONSTRUCTION of the state-of-the-art medical laboratory at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) is now complete with the giant facility expected to be operational by August.
The laboratory which will have 37 scientists is one of the largest laboratories in the country and will eliminate the need to outsource some services for the hospital.
The facility with a total of 52 rooms, has already been fitted with the ceiling and inside plastering is complete while tiles have been put and tubing is complete.
It has special call rooms for on-duty specialists as well as special toilets for disabled staff members.
It will house departments such as haematology, biochemistry, and immunology. It will also have services not available at the hospital at the moment including the blood blank and histology that are outsourced.
For now, histology samples are referred to a satellite laboratory at Mpilo Central Hospital.
Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology that studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues.
The UBH project is part of the major transformation initiatives being rolled out by the Second Republic at public hospitals to ensure universal access to quality healthcare for all.
Already, Government has identified a reputable company to purchase and install state-of-the-art equipment at the massive UBH laboratory.
The company visited the hospital on Tuesday and was given specifications of what is needed, with hospital authorities saying over US$2 million in equipment will be needed.
Work on the facility began in earnest in May last year after having stalled for about eight years due to various challenges.
The coming in of the Second Republic has resulted in massive infrastructure programmes that had stalled, being implemented.
In an interview yesterday, UBH acting clinical director Dr Harrison Rambanapasi said the completion of the laboratory will improve service delivery.
“The completion of this laboratory will see us being able to offer comprehensive laboratory investigations and tests to the people in the region and beyond. We have a laboratory, yes, but it is limited in terms of the tests that we can do but with this new facility now, we should be able to increase our level of tests. Being a central hospital as UBH, we should not be doing just ordinary tests, but highly complicated ones too and discussions are underway to have the laboratory being a level three medical centre that will be able to manage high level pathogens like Ebola,” Dr Rambanapasi said.
He said Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care has been approached to equip the health facility.
“The machines that are needed for this laboratory will obviously require a huge budget of over US$2 million dollars and there’s no way that we can finance that as a hospital, so we approach head office through the office of the permanent secretary. Just yesterday, (Tuesday) a company that was recommended by the ministry was here and we gave them a list of machines needed and the specifications. Our head office is now seized with the matter and we are hopeful that by August this place will be operational,” said Dr Rambanapasi.
He said authorities were also looking at the possibility of placement of services to offset some costs.
“On placement, the supplier will provide and install the equipment and recoup their money as and when those machines are used, these are options that are being looked into,” said Dr Rambanapasi.
He said major construction work was now complete with a few fittings outstanding.
Laboratory contractor, Mr Joseph Mutiyeni of Growly Construction, said they were 95 percent done with actual construction with the five percent remaining work being just fittings.
“We will need just under two weeks to install the outstanding fittings and this place will be complete. We are hoping by the end of next month everything required of us will be done with,” said Mr Mutiyeni.–@skhumoyo2000.
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