Mberengwa Hospital refurbishment begins
THE Ministry of Health and Child Care has embarked on an upgrading and refurbishment exercise of Mberengwa District Hospital in an endeavour to ensure increased access to quality health services.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said the ministry was pushing for Treasury to avail funds for the project.
He said the ministry had also included the Mberengwa District Hospital upgrading project in its 2019 budget.
“The Ministry is in the process of upgrading Mberengwa Hospital to a standard district hospital. However, in the financial year, we did not get any funding for the project from Treasury though we had made a bid for it. We are in the process and are going to include Mberengwa Hospital once again in the Ministry’s capital project bid for 2019,” he said.
Dr Moyo said as part of the upgrading project, Mberengwa District Hospital will also receive a digital X-ray and CIT scanning machines.
He said this will make the hospital a standard district hospital.
“Mberengwa District Hospital will soon receive a digital X-ray machine being procured under the Ministry’s Health Levy Fund and the tender is being conducted by Natpharm,” Dr Moyo.
“However, there are no immediate plans to procure a CT scan which is a bit more complex for a district hospital as that is targeted for provincial hospitals.
“All CT scans require extra professional radiological knowledge to be able to produce the appropriate report.
“It would not make any sense because we do not have radiologists based at the district level.
“Currently, CT scans are available at provincial hospitals like Mutare, Chinhoyi, United Bulawayo Hospitals, Harare Central Hospital, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Masvingo General Hospital and at Chitungwiza Hospital.”
Mberengwa North legislator, Cde Tafanana Zhou, had asked when funds for the construction of the out-patients department and doctors houses at the Mberengwa Hospital will be disbursed.
He had also asked when Government will provide X-ray and CIT scanning equipment to Mberengwa Hospital considering that patients have to travel to other districts for such services.