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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

THE construction of Mpilo Central Hospital doctors’ quarters is now complete and will be commissioned before the end of the year.

Government was renovating three apartment buildings housing doctors at the referral hospital after a series of fires that occurred at the hospital in 2018, 2019 and last year.

In May last year, a fire that gutted the doctors’ accommodation facilities left 39 healthcare workers homeless without clothes and national documents.

Following the series of fire incidents, the Government resolved to also have the nurses’ home renovated as it was in a dilapidated state.

Treasury also released funds for the construction of a housing flat for doctors which was planned in 2002 but had not taken off.

While the renovations included a lot of brickwork, the Government installed solar lights, water tanks and there is now parking space for doctors.

All rooms are tiled and have new cabinets, toilets and kitchen sets.

In an interview in Victoria Falls recently, Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Dr Jasper Chimedza said rehabilitation of the Mpilo Central Hospital block of flats has been completed and what’s left is the commissioning.

Health and Child Care Permanent Secretary Dr Jasper Chimedza

“Right now, before the end of the year, we are going to commission the block of flats at Mpilo which was burnt down and through our partnership with the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, those flats have been rebuilt and what is left now is for us to open,” he said.

In an interview yesterday, Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said:

“The buildings are 99,5 percent complete. What is left is that they install the fire exit doors and other minor things. We are just waiting for Government to release funds so that we can complete those outstanding works. We cannot say that they (doctors) occupy the buildings without the fire exit doors, what if another fire occurs,” said Prof Ngwenya.

He said the hospital expects the outstanding works to be completed within the shortest period possible and the Government commissions them.

Prof Ngwenya commended the work ethic of various Government agencies during the construction process.

“We are grateful to the uniformed forces and the team from Public Works for the splendid work that has been done so far. The project is almost complete and will soon be commissioned thanks to them,” said Prof Ngwenya.

Government under the Second Republic remains committed to improving healthcare services through building and revamping facilities to achieve vision 2030.

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

Quality healthcare services are among the pillars of an upper middle-class economy which the Government is working to achieve by 2030. — @nqotshili