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Cde Joseph Tshuma

Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor
ZANU-PF Pelandaba-Mpopoma legislator Cde Joseph Tshuma has expressed disappointment at the delayed opening of Ekusileni Hospital, a brainchild of the late veteran nationalist and Vice President Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Cde Tshuma said the continued closure of the hospital had a negative impact on the country’s health sector.

“This hospital was a brainchild of the late father of the nation, Cde Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo, but after all these years and after NSSA poured in millions and millions of dollars to construct that hospital, it’s so disappointing to note that up to today, that hospital is still not functional,” said Cde Tshuma.

“We were told about a company called Phodiso from South Africa that had come and it would have brought all the equipment and money that was needed for that hospital to open. Somehow, again, somebody somewhere is stopping that project from taking off. This tempts me to actually then borrow from Hon. Misihairabwi-Mushonga who would start to think of marginalisation, though I know that it’s not, it’s not real, but Madam Speaker, why is that hospital not functional today?”

Cde Tshuma revealed that he knows a doctor by the name of Jeff Moyo who studied fertility in Singapore, Dubai and the United Kingdom who was willing to work as a specialist at the institution.

“We were going to be one of the first African countries after South Africa to have a fertility centre here where people can do fertilisation through tubes. He spent all that money in readiness to come and work at that hospital but up to today, nothing is happening and I’m asking myself, are we really taking these things seriously?

“Are we really sure that we want to develop our nation collectively? If our answer is yes, I think that it’s high time and it’s necessary that as a House we come together with a vision to say, ‘One Zimbabwe’ and that’s the only Zimbabwe that we have because we’ll never have another Zimbabwe,” said Cde Tshuma.

The medical specialist facility was taken over by Phodiso Holdings Limited, a South African healthcare firm, which had targeted July this year for the re-opening of the hospital. According to adverts flighted in May, the hospital is seeking unit managers for paediatrics ward, day ward, surgical ward, theatre, medical and oncology wards, registered general nurses, primary care nurses, nurse aides, pharmacists, a human resources officer and receptionists, among others. In April, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) signed lease agreements with Phodiso Holdings for the health facility and 22 housing units to house the hospital’s members of staff.

The institution is set to run 23 departments with 157 beds, with the potential to increase its capacity to 265.

It is expected to absorb scores of nurses and doctors who graduated from Mpilo Central Hospital, the United Bulawayo Hospitals and the National University of Science and Technology’s medical school.

The specialist hospital was built in 2001 and was shut down in 2004 shortly after opening its doors to the public. This was after it was discovered that the acquired equipment worth millions of dollars was obsolete.

In September last year, the hospital underwent renovations due to damage on infrastructure caused by termites. The upmarket facility was built with funding from the NSSA. It was a joint venture between Zimbabwe Health Care Trust (ZHCT) and Netcare, a South African group that provides private healthcare in both South Africa and the United Kingdom.

A super structure development fund was set up, which saw NSSA, ZHCT and the Mining Industry Pension Fund (MIPF) partnering as the super structure developers.

However, MIPF later pulled out of the project and ZHCT failed to contribute towards the centre construction, leaving NSSA to develop it on its own and become the sole owner of the property.

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care ordered the government to re-open the hospital saying the facility was slowly crumbling.

Cde Tshuma also raised concern over reports of corruption at the Mpilo Central Hospital in the city where he said The Chronicle exposed corruption by executives.

“Companies were supplying ghost invoices, by this I mean an invoice that comes without any goods but the non-existent goods are paid for,” said Cde Tshuma. “Now, I’m saying to myself, this is the same thing that has resulted in hospitals acquiring expired medication to the detriment of our own people. What are we doing as Parliament because we play the oversight role? Are we properly looking into those issues and what’s the Ministry of Health and Child Care doing? We need to wake up to that call because we need to be serious as these are our people. They may be relatives to any of us and when they die, it’ll be very worrisome and sad indeed.”