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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE newly established Hwange District Residents Association (HDRA) is mobilising resources to furnish Victoria Falls Hospital to improve its image and service delivery.

Victoria Falls Hospital is a referral health facility for most of Hwange district as there is no district hospital.

Hwange Colliery, St Patrick’s and Lukosi Hospitals in Hwange town are private institutions although they work closely with Government on health services.

HDRA which was established in 2019 with the aim of fostering development in Hwange district cover8ing Victoria Falls and Hwange urban as well as surrounding rural communities including Dete, Kamativi and Jambezi, is engaging the tourism industry in Victoria Falls to donate to the hospital as part of their corporate social responsibility.

HDRA handed 71 bedsheets and pillow cases donated by Ilala Lodge and are expected to hand over more donations from Batonka Lodge.

HDRA vice chairman Mr Don Mwembe Victoria Falls Hospital should be a first-class facility because of the nature of this city.

“We looked at the pathetic state of the hospital and approached the District Medical Officer (DMO) and realized the immediate need is linen. So, we came up with an idea of engaging the business community in Victoria Falls and we started off with Ilala Lodge who responded positively,” said Mr Mwembe.

He said the residents’ association’s vision is to work hand in hand with the Government to help the country attain middle income status by 2025 through lobbying organisations and stakeholders for development of social amenities infrastructure.

Mr Mwembe said local authorities are not doing enough in terms of sustaining health facilities.

“We want to make sure this hospital is up to standard and we will continue to lobby organisations and for now we are focusing on sprucing its internal image. We cannot be blaming the Government on things we can do on our own locally,” he said.

HDRA chair Mr Herbert Ncube said the hospital should be able to attract medical tourism.

“We believe we need to have specialist health facilities in Victoria Falls and the public institutions should also be seen offering such services in a clean environment. This is a referral hospital for the whole district hence it is not proper for patients to bring linen from home,” he said.

Mr Ncube said HDRA association realized that engagement has been a missing link in the development agenda for every stakeholder to play a role.

Mr Ncube said Hwange is one of the richest districts in the country in terms of natural resources such as wildlife, minerals, water and forests but has little on the ground to show.

Hwange DMO Dr Fungai Mvura-Musinami said the gesture will go a long way in furnishing the hospital.

-@ncubeleon