Zimpapers Logo

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

VICTORIA Falls Hotel has adopted and refurbished the juvenile ward at the Victoria Falls Hospital.

The hotel has furnished the ward with child friendly facilities as part of its corporate social responsibility.

In what could be a first for health institutions in Matabeleland North province, the ward now looks more like a children play centre with cartoons painted on the walls and a TV set connected to kids’ games and cartoon channels.

The once damaged floor tiles have been replaced, walls repainted and ablution and showers also refurbished, in what health authorities said creates a friendly environment that enhances wellness for children by making them feel comfortable while on admission.

This dovetails with Government’s call for private-public-partnerships in infrastructure development in this particular case in health, as the Second Republic forges ahead with efforts towards an upper middle-income society by 2030 where universal healthcare is a priority.

Victoria Falls Hotel has done several other projects including donating linen and gowns, and providing meals to the hospital over the years.

The hotel’s general manager Mr Farai Chimba said this time the organisation decided to make a lasting impression to transform the hospital into a friendly place that can also be attractive to tourists, responding well to Government drive to reverse outbound medical tourism where people seek healthcare outside the country because of lack of proper facilities locally.

“This is part of our corporate social responsibility and wellness programme as we give back to the community through the hospital so that people are treated in a clean environment. We have invested in different institutions including schools and this was a diversion from the usual CSR after seeing a need at the hospital which we want to make a world class,” said Mr Chimba.

Government is courting investors to build state-of-the-art medical facilities in the tourism resort city to prevent airlifting of sick tourists to other countries.

Besides the hospital, the hotel also refurbished a section of the Victoria Falls Police Station.

“These are the places our tourists interact with. We started with the children’s ward because it is a priority and they are the voiceless. We will come often to maintain the ward so that this becomes continuous. Our target is that by the end of the year we should see a transformation of this hospital and have a facility which one can walk in and be proud of,” said Mr Chimba.

He said the hotel felt that hospital infrastructure needed more attention.

“This is to get the ball rolling for the hospital as we as the tourism sector come out of Covid-19 lockdown and other organisations will also come in and adopt their own sections. We hope this will support equipment donated over the years,” added Mr Chimba.

Dr Rorisang Jamela said the hotel had transformed the children’s ward from a total squalid place to an environment that promotes wellness.

“We don’t want kids to come for treatment and leave with hospital acquired infections from broken tiles. This place is now new and inspires good health. We thank you for making the pediatric ward look healthy and this moves us a step towards the state-of-the-art hospital we all want,” said Dr Jamela.

The hospital also donated some linen and bedding for the hospital.

Ms Memory Wachimwa whose eight months old son Blessmore Dube is admitted into the ward, said the environment was refreshing.

 

-@ncubeleon