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Delegates follow proceedings during a Ministry of Health and Child Care stakeholders’ consultative and the Medical Services Act workshop at a Bulawayo hotel on Thursday. — (Pic By Dennis Mudzamiri)

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is in talks with the Ministry of Defence to transform Imbizo Barracks Hospital into a district hospital for Umguza District as the army institution is under-utilised.

Health officials say people from Umguza district are forced to travel to Mpilo Central Hospital even for minor operations that can be done at the army hospital where a theatre is allegedly lying idle.

Speaking during a Medical Services Act amendment consultative meeting at a Bulawayo hotel, Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director (PMD), Dr Nyasha Masuka, said the ministry had initiated talks to transform Imbizo Barracks Hospital.

“The discussion has been happening for the past three months and last week, myself, the provincial health executive and district medical officer were supposed to meet management at Imbizo Barracks Hospital and do a tour.  We have already done an assessment of what equipment is needed and what is not available. What’s left is to discuss how we can operationalise it,” said Dr Masuka.

He said the move was mainly necessitated by the fact that there was no operational theatre in Umguza district and all patients were being referred to Mpilo Central Hospital.

“The main issue is that in Nyamandlovu there is no theatre but we have a doctor who is not operating, so it’s inefficient. But there is a theatre at Imbizo hospital.  So we could have many more women who need Caesarian sections being done there than going to Mpilo and other minor operations being done there for people from Umguza,” Dr Masuka said.

He said they were hoping to finalise the matter soon to ensure that by next year it would be operational.

Dr Masuka said accessing health services in Umguza District was a challenge.

“The issue is that accessibility is a problem just like many facilities in Umguza district. Distance and accessibility is an issue that’s why you find that most of the people come to utilise services in the city centre because it’s more efficient for them and they have other things to do in town besides seeking health care,” he said.

“The other thing with Umguza is that it encircles Bulawayo from Plumtree road through to Harare road, so where do you put the hospital where somebody would say it’s okay?  If you look at the people around Ntabazinduna, Imbizo would be okay, if you look at people from Mbundane they would say it’s too far away, we will go to Bulawayo.”

Dr Masuka said the long term plan was to build a new hospital for Nyamandlovu as the present one was not up to standard.

The PMD said the budget was approved, but the funding has not been released.

“The long term plan is to build a hospital because that’s not a hospital. It’s an old colonial building we just converted, hopefully we will be able to build a new hospital for Nyamandlovu that will cater for everyone which is centrally placed,” said Dr Masuka.

—@AuxiliaK.