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Kudzaishe Muhamba and Marytise Vambayi
The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) in conjunction with the Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) yesterday unveiled a state-of-the-art health facility at Dzivaresekwa Barracks to service members of the uniformed forces and their dependants.
The hospital, which was renovated and expanded by ZNA engineers with resources from PSMAS, is expected to broaden the range of available health services.
Refurbishment of the facility covered the main hospital, the outpatient wing, consulting rooms, a pharmacy, a laboratory and optometry.
There are also rehabilitation, x-ray, ultrasound scan, dental, and procedure rooms.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, ZNA Chief of Staff Administrative Staff, Major General Emmanuel Matatu said access to quality health care was a fundamental human right.
“This important milestone is worth celebrating given that access to healthcare services is a basic human right enshrined in our constitution.
“Our partnership has not been about renovation and construction of facilities only, we have the basic medical cover for our members and I am aware there are some issues relating to what some private health providers demand against what PSMAS offers,” he said.
ZNA was presently outsourcing its member’s health care because of lack of requisite facilities. Under the partnership with PSMAS, soldiers and their families would be the ultimate beneficiaries.
Maj Gen Matatu said the ZNA was working flat out to capacitate all its health facilities to reduce dependence on private health providers.
PSMAS managing director, Mr Nixjoen Mapesa said they were rallying to bring quality healthcare to the uniformed forces.
“Realising that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces was one of the loyal members of PSMAS, the Society partnered the same to rehabilitate its facilities in a bid to bring access to healthcare services to all its members.
“For that reason, you will also realise that the society is working flat-out to improve its general service delivery through a number of activities,” he said.
ZNA director health services, Colonel Wilson Katsande welcomed the development saying it was a shot in the arm towards quality health provision in the organisation.
Meanwhile, ZNA has partnered Nyaradzo Life Assurance and the Forestry Commission on an ecological venture aimed at curbing climate change through national reafforestation.
A tree nursery project at Inkomo Barracks was opened and will produce millions of tree seedlings that will feed into the national reafforestation programme.
The seedlings produced at this project are for planting by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and other organisations and individuals who may require seedlings through the Forestry Commission.
Officially opening the nursery, Maj Gen Matatu said the project came at a time when environmental concerns had come to the fore at international interactions such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), which is underway in Glasgow, Scotland.
He said national reafforestation remained a key component in national development.
“Climate change is real and we are witnessing it now. We have witnessed floods and droughts, late and sometimes short seasons and cyclones. We have been destroying our environment through veld fires, we have cut trees for firewood,” he said.
Nyaradzo Life Assurance general manager, Mr Patrick Mhuka said trees were critical in combating climate change.
“One of the most important things we can do to help the well-being of the environment is to plant trees. Forests act as our planet’s lungs.”
Friends of the Environment (FOTE) chairman, Mr Tendayi Gwatiringa commended the ZNA for walking the talk in regreening the nation.
“Trees seedlings produced here will feed into the national tree planting programmes. I would like to comment the ZNA through its units throughout the country for this collaboration,” he said.
Online Reporter