Ministry embarks on clinic upgrading programme Dr David Parirenyatwa
Dr David Parirenyatwa

Dr David Parirenyatwa

Pamela Shumba, Senior Reporter
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care has started upgrading clinics in the country so that they can perform major procedures and operations which used to be done at hospitals.

The upgrade is part of the Government’s efforts to make health care more accessible and decongest referral hospitals.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said referring every patient to hospital was overloading the institutions.

“We’ve already started the process of upgrading our clinics. At the moment the clinics are dealing with minor health issues.

“We now want them to be able to do caesarean sections and other major operations without referring patients to hospitals. Our clinics have potential to do much more than what they’re doing right now,” said Dr Parirenyatwa in an interview yesterday.

He said the ministry had identified Ntabazinduna and Mabvuku clinics in Matabeleland North and Harare respectively for the upgrading process.

“These two clinics will be the first to be given the green light to do some procedures without referring patients to hospitals.

“We’ll be upgrading the clinics in phases as we provide the required equipment and personnel,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

He added that he was happy that Bulawayo now has a radiotherapy centre to assist cancer patients.

“In the past, cancer patients were being referred to Harare for treatment and we’re glad that we now have a centre for cancer treatment at Mpilo Central Hospital. We want the situation to continue improving,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

The revival of Bulawayo’s economy, he added, should include the pharmaceutical industry to improve the health sector.

“We all know that Bulawayo used to be the country’s industrial hub. As we revive the Bulawayo industries I want us to look at the pharmaceutical industry.

“We have companies that manufacture drugs here in Bulawayo and we want them to be part of the revival process to restore the city’s status of being the country’s industrial hub,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

The ministry’s plan comes at a time when thousands of people, especially in the rural areas are still walking long distances to the nearest hospitals for more complex medical procedures and services.

While Government has constructed clinics in rural areas countrywide to enable communities in remote areas have access to health services, people in these places are often referred to hospitals for procedure or further treatment.

Most clinics and district hospitals have no capacity to provide specialist services.

Some pregnant women are walking from between 15 to 50km to the nearest clinic or hospital for antenatal care and delivery, a development that compromises their health and that of their unborn babies. Others who lack money to travel to hospitals or who cannot walk due to their conditions give birth at home, putting their lives at risk.

@pamelashumba1

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