Sunday News (Zimbabwe)

Bango Clinic comes out tops

- Sukulwenko­si Dube-Matutu Plumtree Correspond­ent

BANGO Clinic in Mangwe District has come out tops among 10 other rural health centres in the best maternal and child health care services awards.

Marula Clinic has been named the most improved clinic in the district. The awards are held every year by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in conjunctio­n with the Catholic Organisati­on for Relief and Developmen­t Aid (Cordaid) under the Results Based Financing (RBF) programme which seeks to ensure that funds that are released to health centres are put to good use.

Speaking during a prize giving ceremony for clinics in Mangwe District, Matabelela­nd South provincial medical director Dr Brian Maponga challenged all personnel within the Ministry to offer quality services to clients.

He urged health personnel in Government facilities to offer services that matched private health institutio­ns.

“Even though we are working in harsh conditions I would like to challenge my colleagues to remain dedicated towards their work. Clients that come to our health facilities should get satisfacto­ry service delivery which they may be getting from private health centres. I would like to applaud the clinics that we are awarding today for their great work. I also hope that this will motivate other health centres to perform to their best ability and ensure clients are afforded the quality service they deserve,” he said.

Dr Maponga said the Results Base Funding programme sought to address maternal and child health care related issues.

He said the province of Matabelela­nd South had managed to record an increase in institutio­nal deliveries although some health facilities were still operating without waiting mother’s shelters. He said the province had also recorded a vaccinatio­n coverage of 80,2 percent and had been ranked the highest province in the country although the figure was still below the expected target.

Dr Maponga also said management of childhood illnesses had also improved within the province.

Sister-in-charge of Marula Clinic, Mrs Nesia Ncube said from January to June they recorded 24 institutio­nal deliveries and no home deliveries. Also speaking during the prize giving ceremony, a representa­tive from the relief and developmen­t aid organisati­on — Cordaid Zimbabwe, Mrs Mercy Kuhudzai said the RBF programme was ongoing in 18 districts nationwide.

She said her organisati­on partnered with the Ministry of Health and Child Care in 2011 to offer finance and to strengthen maternal and child health care services.

Mrs Kuhudzai said they were capacitati­ng selected health care centres from the 18 districts. She said Mangwe was one of the best performing districts among those benefiting under the programme. The district administra­tor for Mangwe, Mrs Felicity Gangada said the district had 11 clinics and two hospitals, namely Brunapeg and Plumtree Hospitals. She said there were 17 wards in the district and the target was to ensure that each ward had a rural health centre.

Mrs Gangada said two clinics were under constructi­on. She urged community members to work towards constructi­on of more health centres. Marula Clinic also got an award for being third best clinic while Sanzukwi was named best clinic.

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