THE Ministry of Health and Child Care has taken over the 32-year-old Father O’Hea Mission Hospital in Zvimba from Jesuits who pulled out and has since upgraded it to a general hospital in the public sector.
Zvimba South legislator Philip Chiyangwa facilitated the
upgrade of the 120-bed mission hospital. Before the Jesuits pulled out from the
hospital’s affairs, it was one the best institution in the Zvimba district,
being the first to offer HIV treatment services including CD4 count tests.
In recent years, the hospital deteriorated in standards as
lack of financial support constrained service delivery, and it was now relying
heavily on well-wishers.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro
announced that the government had taken over the affairs of the hospital.
“We have come to look at the hospital, which used to be run
by missionaries who have since pulled out,” he said. “As the government, we
have taken over the affairs of the hospital. We have seen it fit to upgrade the
hospital to a general hospital and on this tour, we saw that a lot of
renovations are needed and my Ministry has availed $50 million and work starts
now.”
The upgrade, he said, was going to de-congest hospitals in
Harare.
Health specialists are expected to be based at the hospital
in line with the Government’s mantra of leaving no place or person behind and
Zvimba Rural District Council will be asked for land for the construction of
staff accommodation and the hospital’s subsequent expansion.
“The upgrade of this hospital from a rural mission hospital
to a general hospital which will be equipped with state-of-the-art medical
facilities, as well as specialist medical personnel will help to de-congest
Parirenyatwa and Harare hospitals since it’s near Harare and the hospital is
now known as Father O’Hea General Hospital,” Dr Mangwiro said.
“A proposal to establish a primary health care nurse
training school has been made, and the school will benefit the local community.
As a ministry, we no longer expect medical personnel to travel to Harare for
training upgrade, but the training will be done at their health stations.” The
hospital is faced with several challenges, including lack of access to clean
potable water. Dr Chiyangwa has been donating drugs to the hospital. “We
received reports that some of the things were being stolen from this
institution, including medicines that I have been bringing for the hospital,
but now I hope things will improve after the Ministry of Health and Child Care
has taken over the hospital,” he said. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment