GOVERNMENT, with the help of private sector, has continued to heavily invest in health infrastructure to improve access and quality of health services in the country, Vice President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.
Speaking after a brief tour of Victoria Falls Hospital yesterday, Dr Chiwenga who is also Health and Child Care Minister challenged the private sector to partner Government in improving the health and well-being of citizens.
Dr Chiwenga visited Victoria Falls Hospital soon after officially opening the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) 2022 annual congress at a local hotel.
HAZ adopted some wards at the health institution where it is carrying out massive renovations that comprise upgrading the children’s ward, tiling of floors, fixing broken sections, painting, air conditioning, lighting as well as setting up of a Leep and Colposcopy unit, a treatment room for people who present signs of cervical cancer before reaching the chemotherapy stage.
Dr Chiwenga appealed to citizens to remain vigilant with regards to any diseases, adding that as the country joined the world in commemorating World Aids Day yesterday, there is a need to remain guided by moral ethics for the country to achieve its goal of zero HIV and Aids infection.
“The purpose of my visit here was motivated by the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe which is running its congress and we took advantage to come and see what contributions they have made to this hospital.
VP Chiwenga who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care was taken on a tour of Victoria Falls hospital by Hwange District Medical Officer Dr Fungayi Musinami, Matebeleland North Minister of State for Provincial A
“They have contributed in tiling floors, buying equipment for cervical cancer and refurbished the children’s ward which is now looking fantastic. I want to thank them for having taken the lead so that when tourists come and if anything happens to them during their course of stay here they will have a comfortable health area,” said Dr Chiwenga.
He said the visit was also meant to assess the state of preparedness for the hospital which is set to host the launch of the surgical obstetric and anaesthesia strategy in soon.
Dr Chiwenga said brick by brick, Government was constructing health facilities countrywide to improve health services.
VP Chiwenga holding admiring his gift from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) as a token of appreciation after officially opening the Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe 2022 Congress at Victoria Falls
He said Victoria Falls will also be upgraded into a state-of-the-art hospital to support the growing population.“We are doing everything to improve health service; we have developed Binga mortuary at Binga District Hospital as we are going to resuscitate all the health facilities. We have put up 10 new clinics now in Binga and as for this hospital, we are going to develop it, step by step, until we get there, to the Zimbabwe we want,” said Dr Chiwenga.
Hwange District under which Victoria Falls City lies, has no district hospital.
Patients are referred to the Catholic Church-run St Luke’s Hospital in Lupane or hospitals in Bulawayo.
VP Chiwenga said now that Victoria Falls is a city, the “hospital is going to be developed into a much bigger facility to cater for the population which is growing in Victoria Falls and stop transfers to St Luke’s and Bulawayo.”
“At the speed we are going in the construction of Lupane Provincial Hospital, these problems we are facing now will be a thing of the past.” – The Chronicle
