Sakunda Holdings will inject US$2,7 million towards the
refurbishment of two hospitals as part of private sector initiatives to support
Government efforts in fighting Covid-19.
The two medical facilities — Rock Foundation Medical Centre
and St Annes’ — both in Harare, will be equipped with modern equipment to
render them useful after lying idle for years.
This comes at a time when Zimbabwe recorded its first
Covid-19 death on Monday following the death of Zororo Makamba. The first consignment of the equipment, part of which was
sourced from China, is arriving in the country today.
It is understood that the last batch of the equipment will
arrive on April 6, after which modalities for opening the facilities would be
worked out.
Sakunda Holdings wants the two hospitals to be used for
Covid-19 response by all Zimbabweans, and Government has since given the
hospitals the green light to do preparatory work, while awaiting licensing from
the relevant authorities.
Among the equipment Sakunda Holdings is bringing into the
country are 100 ventilators, 10 000 rapid test kits, 10 000 disposal protective
gowns, 20 000 medical masks, 10 000 disposable shoe covers, 100 infra-red
thermometers, 5 000 respirator N95 masks and 2 000 hand sanitisers, among other
paraphernalia required to fight Covid-19.
In a letter to St Anne’s Hospital manager dated March 24,
2020, Health and Child Care Secretary Dr Agnes Mahomva said: “Thank you for
inviting us following our request to utilise the facility for management of
Covid-19 cases. The team was satisfied with what they saw during the tour and
would like to finalise our request.
“Please note that we have since identified Sakunda Holdings
to be our partners to work with us and yourselves to do all the remaining
renovations and refurbishments necessary for the hospital to function in the
shortest possible period of time.
“Sakunda Holdings has confirmed that they have the
resources and funding to do the work and hence refurbishments will not be at
your costs.”
Correspondence by Sakunda Holdings on March 25, 2020,
showed that
they had already applied for the relevant licensing and
pleaded with Dr Mahomva to assist in expediting the process.
“The Government of Zimbabwe has implemented a raft of
measures to curb and control outbreak of the disease albeit under tough
economic circumstances,” wrote Mr Everton Mlalazi of Sakunda to Dr Mahomva.
“It is against this background that Sakunda Holdings and
its associates have come up with a private initiative to complement Government
efforts to curb this pandemic specifically in provision of health facilities,
equipment, training and vaccines.
“Sakunda has identified Rock Foundation Medical Centre as a
facility in the fight against Covid-19. The hospital management will send
applications to relevant bodies, but our request from you is to assist in
engaging these bodies to expedite the process in view of the urgency required
to deal with the pandemic.” Herald
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