NSSA opens Bulawayo rehab centre to public

THE National Social Security Authority (NSSA) has opened its Bulawayo Rehabilitation Centre to the public with immediate effect after operating for over 40 years as a facility for only contributors to the Workers Compensation Insurance Fund.

The centre, which accommodates up to 70 in-patients and about 150 out-patients at any given time, provides physiotherapy, occupational therapy, vocational training and social work.

Speaking during the centre’s open day in Bulawayo on Friday, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira congratulated NSSA for opening the centre to the public, saying with the increase in non-communicable diseases, some of which are leading to strokes and amputations, it was vital to invest in rehabilitation services. She challenged NSSA to consider revitalising Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre, which she said was underutilised.

“We cannot have people travelling all the way from Mt Darwin to Bulawayo for rehabilitation,” said Minister Mupfumira. “I challenge you to work on Ruwa Rehabilitation Centre, which is currently underutilised.”

Minister Mupfumira urged Zimbabweans to embrace occupational health and safety to ensure zero workplace injuries. Speaking at the same occasion, NSSA board chairperson Mr Robin Vela said the authority decided to open up the centre to the public because of the dwindled number of employees who were utilising the services.

“We have over the years been getting less severely injured workers who would need the services offered here,” he said. “As a result, my board and NSSA management decided to make the centre more inclusive by opening the unit to the general public, but at very concessionary fees.”

Statistics from NSSA’s occupational safety and health report show that the number of employees injured at work went down from 5 736 in 2014 to 5 364 last year.