HRE HOSP WARDS NOW HAVE POTHOLES : CEO

Harare Central Hospital (HCH) is in dire need of repairs, with some wards developing potholes, chief executive officer Peggy Zvavamwe said yesterday.

Zvavamwe said this at the hand-over of a female orthopaedic ward refurbished by State pension fund National Social Security Authority (Nssa).

She said due to a lack of maintenance of hospital infrastructure, the facility was falling apart.
She said while the female ward — which also caters for nose and throat patients — had been refurbished by the State pension fund, more wards need similar attention.

“At one point we had potholes that developed in our wards. Since the hospital was built in 1958, we only started to repair some of the dilapidation in 2012. After companies saw what had happened, they started contributing and to date about four wards have been repaired,” Zvavamwe said.

“We have about four wards in the C block which need repairs, another ward in the B block and all the A wards need to be attended to. While we have done most of the work on our own, we need assistance from corporates.”

The hospital is mulling private wards where patients can receive top-notch treatment at a slightly higher cost. Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has private wards.

Zvavamwe said the idea was prompted by the need to cater for prospective patients in Harare’s affluent Western and Southern suburbs currently trekking to private hospitals.
“We want something that is in between, which is not too expensive also. Ideally, we would want to first start with one medical and one surgical ward to see if the idea is accepted,” she said.

Social Welfare minister Prisca Mupfumira said the Constitution states that everyone has the right to health care, but noted that some State facilities were struggling to meet the constitutional requirement.

“Government hospitals all across the country are crying out for support from the corporate community.

“Our Constitution clearly stipulates that the state must take all practical measures to ensure that provision of basic, accessible and adequate health services throughout Zimbabwe. As such, the gesture by Nssa helps us fulfill that mandate,” she said. Daily News

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