The pre-fabricated village clinic recently exhibited in Harare has impressed Government and it is now being investigated as the quickest way of building the 6 000 village health posts that are needed for full coverage.
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro toured the facility erected in Harare by the Vision 2030 Movement which recently interfaced with President Mnangagwa.
Under the 2030 vision of taking healthcare services closer to where the people are as a way of encouraging a health-seeking behaviour and also ensuring easy access to healthcare, Government wants to put health posts in every village where people can go first and tehn be referred to the nearest clinic as the climb the referral ladder.
Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Constantino Chiwenga also toured the facility.
“This building here is pre-fabricated. I looked at it and found-out that the durability is credible,” said Dr Mangwiro.
“The speed at which they can assemble these prefabricated village health centres is so fast that in three to four days they will be done.
“As Government we are aiming to have village health centres like this, more than 6000, so the company is saying they can have more of these and this will help us achieve our target very fast of having village health centres in every village,” said Dr Mangwiro.
On top of what they are already doing, the movement was also told to look at building another facility to cater for the accommodation of staff as well as drilling boreholes.
“This will be accompanied by a two-bedroomed house for the PCN who stays there, and on top of that there will be a borehole and solar system which will power the health post so that the building will be self-sufficient. With solar power the facility will be able to keep medications and vaccines in suitable refrigerated temperatures,” said Dr Mangwiro.
Village health posts save patients from walking long distances, and those wanting to collect their medication and vaccines can do so closer to areas where they live. Serious cases will, however, have to be referred to hospitals and clinics.
Chairperson of the Vision 2030 Movement Mr Paul Mavima said they came up with the innovation to help the Government quickly achieve its objective.
“What we have here is a prefabricated clinic which is in line with Government’s commitment of providing healthcare to ordinary Zimbabweans.
“Around 85 percent of the material we are using is locally produced, much of the products we are using are initiatives coming from young people,” said Mr Mavima. – The Herald
