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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
The government yesterday handed over Ekusileni Medical Centre to a South African company, Phodiso Holdings, paving way for the imminent re-opening of the health institution.

Ekusileni will be run as a private hospital and Phodiso Holdings has set July as the opening month for the hospital.

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.

A high powered delegation comprising Vice-President, Phelekezela Mphoko, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, the Minister of Public Service Labour and Social Welfare, Cde Prisca Mupfumira, Economic Planning Minister, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and officials from the Zimbabwe Health Care Trust (ZHCT) and NSSA met yesterday to pave the way forward.

VP Mphoko said he was very happy that the hospital would finally re-open. He urged the hospital management to serve people without putting money first.

“I’m happy that it’s finally happening. This is not an ordinary hospital but a legacy of the revolution. The revolution didn’t believe in money making but in serving the people.

“I therefore hope that the people who will manage the hospital are here to serve the people not to make money. I want to appeal to you minister (Mupfumira), that a legacy is something for the people. Those who are hoping to make a quick buck please stretch it for 100 years. You should believe in the volumes of the people coming here to get the treatment they have been dreaming of for so long. So if anybody thinks that ah taiwana mari, siyibonile imali lapha, you are wrong. This is a special hospital. There are going to be special hospitals throughout the country because the legacy is not only for Bulawayo but for the whole country,” said VP Mphoko.

The next stage, VP Mphoko said, was to come up with a date and invite President Mugabe to come and officially open the hospital which will serve the people of Zimbabwe.

Minister Mupfumira commended the officials from NSSA and Phodiso Holdings for a job well done. She said it has not been an easy task to plan for the re-opening of the hospital. “Since my appointment as Minister of Public Service, I’ve been inundated with calls from members of the public asking about the re-opening of the hospital. I also had a difficult time answering questions in Parliament concerning this hospital.

“I took it upon myself to push NSSA officials to make things happen. It has not been easy for them and I want to congratulate my colleagues for a job well done,” she said.

She said she was delighted that an agreement had been signed to pave way for the opening of the health facility.

“I hope the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo’s dream of establishing specialist centres around the country will be fulfilled. I also hope that the Ministry of Health will entice some of the health experts who left the country, to come back home and serve the nation,” she said.

Dr Parirenyatwa said yesterday was an important day for the people of Matabeleland and the nation as a whole.

“It has been a long struggle. In 2004 we closed the hospital after operating for a few months because primarily the equipment was unsafe for patients.

“It’s sad that it has taken this long to re-open it. I want to commend the ZHCT for their commitment and we can’t wait for it to start running,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

He expressed satisfaction with the renovations at the hospital adding that the ministry would give the hospital all the support it needs.

The hospital’s manager Ray Ray said the institution would be a private hospital and it is expected to start operating with 60 beds. She said most of the hospital staff would be Zimbabweans.

“Phodiso took practical occupation at the hospital on March 19, 2015 and we’re progressing well in making necessary changes prior to the final commissioning of the hospital.

“The recruitment of specialists is going on and the services to be provided include internal medicine, general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, oncology, urology, nephrology, haematology, cardiology and emergency medicine and trauma,” said Ray.

She said other facilities at the health centre include wound care clinic, out and in-patient dialysis, baby clinic, senior clinic, physiotherapy and ophthalmology.

Ray, however, said the company was facing challenges in acquiring a duty free certificate to bring the medical equipment into the country from South Africa.