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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
ZIMBABWEANS should be proud of the positive socio-economic developments which have been achieved under the Second Republic even in the face of continued onslaught of the country by its internal and external detractors.

Despite a myriad of challenges the country is facing, the Second Republic has made tremendous progress especially in reviving the health sector.

Addressing delegates at the commissioning of the R10 million escalated care unit at Gweru Provincial Hospital (GPH) yesterday, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi said he was saddened to note that Zimbabweans have been failing to celebrate success stories which the Second Republic has achieved in the last two years.

GPH received 10 ventilators sourced by Anglo American Company, Unki Mines in Shurugwi, which have been installed to meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards for admitting Covid-19 patients in need of ventilators.

To add to the high standards, there is a delivery suite in case the Covid-19 patient is pregnant and is due for delivery.

Before the facelift, GPH only had three Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds.

Once the war against Covid-19 is won, the ward will still be used for emergency cases requiring special respiratory equipment.

VP Mohadi said the successful completion of the specialised facility augurs well with the general improvement of the country’s health service delivery.

He said at the national level, the commissioning of the GPH facility resonates well with President Mnangagwa’s vision of making Zimbabwe an upper middle-income country by the year 2030.

“While we appear somehow under siege from the negative activities of our spirited detractors, it is beautiful milestones such as we are witnessing today that should encourage us as Zimbabweans that indeed we can move forward and moving forward in the right direction.

“It is disheartening to note that as Zimbabweans, we have failed to generate progressive attention around our own successes, we have failed to celebrate the positive outcomes of our efforts such as the current effort to improve our health delivery services,” said VP Mohadi.

He said a truth that Zimbabwe seems to be shy of is that the Second Republic has been instrumental in resuscitating a nearly dead health delivery system.

“Surely a lot of innovations and initiatives such as the one we are witnessing today are being undertaken across the country and I challenge you to visit Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare to see for yourself the development that the Second Republic has achieved in the health delivery system there.

“May you allow me to highlight that against this negative portrayal of our country, it is quite remarkable that Gweru Provincial Hospital is a venue of medical firsts in which our expects in this medical field performed a successful delivery of a Covid-19 positive woman. What an unsung song. As a first, this in my view, should make us proud as a nation. Allow me once against to celebrate with you as Gweru Provincial Hospital moves towards achieving the Central Hospital status,” said VP Mohadi.

He said the commissioning of the wing is an affirmation of the resilience and fortitude of President Mnangagwa’s administration against the Covid-19 pandemic whose numbers have spiked since this June this year.

“Ladies and gentleman, my appreciation is to the Midlands Minister of State and Devolution Larry Mavima and the people of this great province for collectively ensuring the success of this project. If it were not so, I don’t think this could have been completed,” the Vice-President.

VP Mohadi commended Anglo American corporation through Unki Mines for assisting the Government in the fight against the spread of Covid-19.

“Once again my congratulations will be inadequate without mentioning the gesture by Anglo American corporation who provided the much needed equipment for the operationalisation of this facility. Thank you very much Unki, thank you very much Anglo American. This action exhibits the positive impact the mining sector has on communities,” he said.

“To our local business fraternity, allow me to express our gratitude as Government for their donation in cash and kind to ensure the successful implementation of this project we are witnessing today. Thank you all for your noble assistance, together our country will prosper.”

VP Mohadi said the whole country would benefit from the state-of-the-art facility.

He said the completion of the facility in record time is evidence of the unity of purposes, cohesion and peaceful coexistence of stakeholders as a nation.

“Once again, congratulations to you all for a job well done and the efficient use of our resources to achieve the intended health delivery outcome. As a province, it has been your desire to attain Central Hospital status and it is through such milestones as these that your quest for the status can be realised, keep it up. This facility should embrace the patient centric approach where priority is given to patients’ comfort and convenience to their stage in the journey to recovery,” said VP Mohadi.

He said GPH should ensure that patients experience their rights to health care from the appointment booking to discharge.

VP Mohadi said focus should be on empowering the patient by offering them all the necessary information that is required adding that the health person at the health institution should be involved from the bottom-up.