Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital appeals for more incubators

THE Mashonaland West’s biggest referral hospital, Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, has appealed for financial assistance to install more incubators for premature babies.

Incubators reduce chances of premature babies being exposed to some communicable diseases and other risks including death.

In an interview recently, Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital board chairperson Mrs Matilda Jairos said the incubators at the hospital were not enough.

“The hospital is a referral health service provider to many rural hospitals across the province,” she said. “These do not have equipment or lack the capacity to handle complex cases and at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital we have a few of these devices.

“They are not enough to cater for the whole province.”

Mrs Jairos said the provincial referral hospital needs at least 15 more incubators.

Incubators are enclosed care devices in which prematurely born infants are kept in controlled conditions for protection and care.

Staff at the hospital, who cannot be named for professional reasons, however, urged mothers with premature babies to adopt the kangaroo system to ease demand for incubators.

“Mothers who have passed the complicated stages should adopt the kangaroo method so that the few incubators will be prioritised to newly premature infants,” she said.

Under this method, mothers of infants who have overcome initial complications and only need to feed and grow, sit in the incubator room holding their babies close to their bodies.

Meanwhile, mobile network provider NetOne recently donated 150 blankets to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital’s maternity and paediatric wards for the protection of pregnant women and children against common colds.

The organisation also donated five wheelchairs to the hospital.

NetOne executive marketing director Dr Eldrette Shereni pledged to render more support to the hospital especially on challenges affecting children and women.

“We were in the maternity and paediatric ward and we saw quite a bit of things that needs upgrade and also refurbishment to help our children feel happier while there,” she said.

Dr Shereni said her organisation had asked hospital authorities to compile some of their needs for possible assistance.