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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
THE Catholic Church-run Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo has embarked on a massive expansion drive that will transform the institution from an old elitist hospital into a walk-in primary healthcare centre for ordinary citizens.

Construction work has started leading to the transformation of the 70-year-old institution and the first phase will be completed at end of the year.

This is in line with Government’s thrust for leaving no one and no place behind and the vision of attaining an upper middle-income society by 2030 where health services should be readily available to all citizens.

Construction work has already started at the premises where a retail pharmacy, a big 18-bed renal dialysis unit, in-house consultation rooms for specialists and family practitioners will be located.

Existing services are being expanded while tertiary training in various critical post-graduate courses in Critical and Coronary Care, Advanced Trauma Care and Life Support, and Theatre Operating for medical practitioners have started at St Philip’s which was once a convent within the premises, with partnership from American College of Surgeons and Committee of Trauma management from South Africa.

The Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood (FMDM) Sisters, a Catholic organisation built Mater Dei Hospital on the invitation of the then Bishop Arnoz of Bulawayo, who was concerned about unethical medical procedures at other health facilities.

The groundbreaking ceremony was done in 1951 and the official opening was done in 1953 after completion of construction work.

The hospital, located south east of Bulawayo city, continued to grow over the years both as a tertiary institution for medical personnel and health centre and in the 1990s the FMDM Sisters handed its day-to-day administration to a board of trustees through a notarial deed.

Dr Adolf Macheka, the board of trustees chairperson, said the health institution envisions itself offering a medical value chain from primary healthcare, specialist services, in-house referrals, transplants, tertiary training and other services.

“We don’t want to see Mater Dei Hospital just being seen as an elitist tertiary institution only, the paradigm in healthcare has changed.

This means that we are moving beyond just expanding clinical services within the institution. You are going to see perhaps within a year the inclusion of things like the retail pharmacy, establishment of a much bigger renal dialysis unit initially with 18 beds, establishment of the in-house consultation rooms for specialists and family practitioners so that we have integrated healthcare from the bottom going up,” said Dr Macheka.

He was speaking recently at the 70th anniversary of the FMDM Sisters at Mater Dei Hospital.

Dr Macheka said Mater Dei Hospital, whose name is Latin for Mother of God, is a community hospital and over the years has been offering free medical services to disadvantaged members of the society as part of the integrated policy especially on services not available at public hospitals, in keeping with the primary objective of the institution founders.

He said the development of Mater Dei is about strengthening the hospital as a teaching hospital and offering specialist services.

“To be able to do this, the institution should have infrastructure which is a key ingredient when it comes to training. The developments come from our realisation that Mater Dei Hospital has to keep up with international standards and increase capacity. We are expanding some of the specialist services and bringing in new ones. There is going to be a retail pharmacy that will operate within the ethos of Mater Dei and where necessary subsidising some services to disadvantaged people,” said the board of trustees chairperson.

“We want everything under one roof. This is only the beginning; our vision is that in the not-so distant future no-one should be referred outside the country other than through choice. Provision of primary healthcare and family and general practitioners’ services is important so we are saying let’s integrate healthcare under one roof. Transplant surgery should be there. The first phase is set to take one year and has already started.”

There will also orthopedic department for artificial limbs, braces and supporting devices which many people have been getting outside the country.

A well-women clinic for cervical cancer screening, post and antenatal clinic, well baby and immunisation sections will also be opened.

There will also be an audiology unit and dental clinic for prevention, diagnostic and treatment as well as 16 doctors’ suites and consultation rooms.

No patient will be referred to a specialist doctor for any service as all needs will be catered for within the hospital.
Some Zimbabweans have over the years been travelling to other countries such as India and South Africa to seek medical treatment because of limited services locally.

The institution offers practical training for medical students undergoing studies at the National University of Science and Technology while a majority of specialists in Bulawayo also have a privilege of practicing at Mater Dei because of the state-of-the-art equipment.

The hospital’s 16-bed Covid-19 centre is one of the best equipped in the country.

Archbishop Alex Thomas of Bulawayo, who is also a member of the board, commended the local community for supporting the institution.

He said most of the construction work will be completed by end of the year.

Archbishop Thomas said the secret of Mater Dei is the personal attention the patients, visitors and relatives receive as the healing people receive is not merely medical, clinical, or surgical, but spiritual and personal. -@ncubeleon