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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter

Government has injected an additional $200 million to facilitate the ongoing renovation of Mpilo Central Hospital staff residences which are set to be completed by the end of next month.

Quality health care services are among the pillars of an upper middle-class economy which Government is working to achieve by the year 2030.

Currently, there are 93 health centres under rehabilitation or renovation in the country and much infrastructure work is also being undertaken at health facilities in Matabeleland region under the Second Republic.

For the first time in years, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces are set to have their own provincial hospitals to decongest Mpilo and the United Bulawayo Hospital which cater for the provinces at the moment.

At Mpilo, $350 million was initially disbursed last year for the renovation of five buildings when one of the buildings burnt down leaving 39 doctors without accommodation, property and documents. 

Government took a holistic approach and decided to renovate other dilapidated buildings at Mpilo to alleviate accommodation challenges of healthcare workers. 

So far, Mpilo has completed the renovation of two buildings – the DQ Building and the White House – which burnt down in 2018 and 2019 respectively. 

The two buildings are ready for commissioning. 

The milestone rehabilitation has modernised the structures which include the nurses residence and the staff quarters.

A new modern residential flat that was mulled 20 years ago is also under construction.

In an interview, Mpilo acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said Government had released an additional $200 million to help complete the project. 

He said after further engagement, Government injected more funds as Mpilo had used up most of the $350 million which was disbursed last year. 

“Tremendous progress has been done in this project, two of the buildings are 100 percent done as reported last time.

In addition to that we are now at 25 percent in terms of the progress at the H Flats which were started from scratch just last year.

The nurses residence is at 70 percent now while the staff quarters is at 60 percent, “ said Prof Ngwenya. 

“We are happy because our Government has since given us an additional $200 million to complete the work. Indeed, this shows commitment from their end.

This project started a few months ago and we cannot believe that we are almost done with Government still funding everything.”

He said the renovation work is done by personnel from the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe National Army, Ministry of Local Government and Public Works as well as Mpilo staff members.

“This project will go a long way in helping us retain our health care workers whom we need at Mpilo to serve our population.

If healthcare workers are happy, service delivery will improve and we will continue saving lives,” added Prof Ngwenya.

 Besides the Mpilo project, more than 47 clinics and hospitals have been built since 2018 under the Second Republic with many more upgraded and repaired.

More than 200 boreholes have been drilled at health facilities while 1 000 old and new facilities had solar power installed.

In the Southern region, one of the major projects is construction of Lupane Provincial Hospital whose construction is underway and much progress has been made so far.

The construction of the 250-bed hospital was part of Government plans since 2004 but was only scaled up following the coming in of the Second Republic whose thrust is to complete all projects that have been started by the Government.

Last year, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who is also Health and Child  Care Minister said Lupane Provincial                                                                                          Hospital will be completed in December   this year and the health facility will be the first hospital to accommodate all its staff onsite.

He said Government had embarked on a massive programme to construct   health facilities countrywide to cut on                      distances travelled by citizens to access health services.

“We would like to highlight that the completion of this project is a priority in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) in this New Dispensation. 

“This will bring relief to Matabeleland North which has been relying on Bulawayo and mission hospitals,” said VP Chiwenga.-@thamamoe