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Nqobile TshiliChronicle Reporter
RENOVATIONS at Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital are expected to be completed in the next two weeks with Government satisfied with the Covid-19 response from the private sector.

At the completion of the renovations the infectious disease hospital is expected to start handling critically ill Covid-19 patients.

At the moment, Wilkins Hospital in Harare is the only public hospital that has been upgraded to handle critically ill Covid-19 patients who need to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

Thorngrove Hospital was closed two weeks ago to pave way for renovations.

Twelve Covid-19 patients have been recorded in Bulawayo including one death.

A Chronicle news crew yesterday observed contractors conducting renovation works at the isolation centre while others were fixing the road.

Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said the renovations are on course and will be finished within two weeks.

“The Government availed some funds for the renovation of Thorngrove Hospital as part of this Covid-19 response. Teams are there actively on the ground renovating certain areas, making upgrades in certain areas, putting up new structures in certain areas as part of getting Thorngrove ready as one of our key treatment facilities in the city. We expect completion of these works between 14 and 16 of this month if everything goes according to plan,” said Dr Mlilo.

Both Government and the private sector has been heavily involved in renovating Thorngrove Infectious Diseases Hospital to accommodate Covid-19 patients.

Government expressed satisfaction over the renovations being done at Thorngrove Hospital.

Bulawayo Covid-19 taskforce chairperson and Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo said the isolation hospital was being transformed from a “bush to a proper habitable institution.”

“The business people are coming forward and one of the businesspeople who came 10 days ago has started to work on Thorngrove and the progress is really amazing. He has tarred the roads in Thorngrove areas. The place is being uplifted. I remember when I first went there, I thought it was just bush now you can see that it’s very clear that it can be habitable for treating people,” said Minister Moyo.

“They are adding more buildings and expanding rooms for doctors and for the nurses who would be attending to Covid-19 positive people. We call it the doffing area, there is an area where they will sanitise themselves when they are going in and out. We will make it an attractive area for treating our people.”

He said it was pleasing that various sectors were responding to President Mnangagwa’s call for joint efforts in fighting Covid-19.

He said even churches in Bulawayo have given us accommodation in order to isolate people coming from outside the country or those who we think are Covid-19 positive. — @nqotshili