US$1,4m required for isolation centre

A TOTAL of US$1,4 million is required for the refurbishment of the province’s isolation centre, an official has said.

Mutare Town Clerk Mr Joshua Maligwa said council urgently needs the funds to ensure that the Mutare Infectious Diseases Hospital becomes fully functional.

“We have written to the Government detailing what we need for this hospital and we are waiting for their response.

“We need to equip the hospital with ventilators, beds and all the necessary equipment. We also need adequate protective clothing for the health workers stationed there and other clinics.

“As a local authority, we will channel ZWL$1 million towards fighting this virus,” said Mr Maligwa.

The local authority has already identified 15 nurses and 10 environmental health technicians as part of the team that will be dealing with coronavirus-related issues.

They are also in the process of recruiting 15 nurse aides.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Health and Child Care is carrying out ongoing training for its staff in all the province’s districts in response to coronavirus.

Acting Manicaland provincial medical director, Dr Munyaradzi Mukuzunga told The Manica Post that there was ongoing training for health personnel.

“We have also reduced the number of patients being served at our outpatients’ departments to less than 10 people per session,” said Dr Mukuzunga.

The ministry has also put in place Covid19 screening facilities at all major hospital entrances in the province.

“Tents housing screening facilities have been positioned at entrances to all major hospitals so that everyone who gets into the hospital has a chance to get screened. If we suspect that a person has coronavirus, he or she is immediately put into isolation and will be assisted accordingly,” said Dr Mukuzunga. However, in a case that proves that there is need to disseminate more educational tips to members of the public, there was pandemonium at Mutare Provincial Hospital on Monday after a feverish male patient showed up at the referral hospital.

The institution’s authorities carried out some tests and the man tested positive for malaria.

Dr Mukunguza revealed that the patient’s condition has since improved.

“While the patient was in a state of confusion when he was brought to the hospital, his symptoms did not meet the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s case definition of Covid-19.

“It turned out the patient was suffering from malaria. He was immediately put on malaria treatment,” he said.