THE United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) state-of-the-art medical laboratory is nearing completion with authorities saying it is now at 85 percent.
To date, the Government has injected an equivalent of US$1,5 million into the medical laboratory.
The project is part of the major transformation initiatives being rolled out by the Second Republic at public hospitals to ensure universal access to quality healthcare for all.
The laboratory is expected to be one of the largest laboratories in the country and eliminate the need to outsource some services for the hospital.
Work on the facility began in earnest in May last year after stalling for about eight ears due to various challenges.
The laboratory will house departments such as haematology, biochemistry, and immunology. It will also have services not available at the hospital at the moment including the blood blank and histology that are outsourced.
At the moment, UBH is running its laboratory in three rooms where one room has been divided to run four diagnostic tests while another room is being used to conduct viral load tests.
Once completed, the laboratory will have a staff of 37 scientists and also be able to conduct histology tests. At the moment histology samples are referred to a satellite laboratory at Mpilo Central Hospital.
Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology that studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues.
UBH acting clinical director Dr Harrison Rambanapasi said the initial tender value was $300 million, but Treasury set aside $1,6 billion for the 2023 financial year.
“The construction of our medical laboratory is going on very well and we are at 85 percent completion. We are about to start roofing after which, we will then work on other minor things like the floor, the ceiling, plastering, and painting,” he said.
United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) Acting CEO Dr Harrison Rambanapasi briefly explains how they will work with specialists of Iran during the reception of Iranian doctors at the hospital.
“There is also a need for a cold room and the contractor is saying all things being equal, in the next two months we should be able to complete the construction of the facility.”
Dr Rambanapasi said that once complete the laboratory will provide a full range of all medical laboratory tests.
“Remember we are a central hospital so the services that we offer must reflect that status. We are looking at haematology, biochemistry, and enzymes, especially cardiac enzymes and, also what we call pathology or histology,” he said.
“We are also a referral hospital for patients coming from hospitals in other provinces and therefore, this laboratory will be a referral centre for all other hospitals. At the moment we are conducting tests from a very small three-roomed laboratory, and as such we are not able to house all the services that we are supposed to offer.”
Haematology is the study of blood and blood disorders. The tests help diagnose anaemia, infection, haemophilia, blood-clotting disorders and leukaemia.
An enzyme marker test is a blood test to measure specific biological markers in the blood. High levels of cardiac enzymes can be a sign of a heart attack or another heart problem.
Dr Rambanapasi said the laboratory will also be able to offer call rooms for persons on standby.
When the Chronicle news crew visited the hospital yesterday, construction workers were busy removing scaffolds on the main entrance and installing door frames.
Besides the laboratory, UBH has almost completed the renovation of the family health services centre which would cater for obstetric and gynaecological procedures.
The facility was refurbished with funding from the Government and UNFPA and would house two operating rooms. It will be used to conduct obstetric fistula operations among others.
UBH has also reintroduced laparoscopy surgeries following the acquisition of new theatre equipment and accessories.
Laparoscopy is a low-risk and minimally invasive surgical process used for examining the organs within the abdomen.
Through funding from partners, the facility purchased the components needed for the laparoscopic unit to start working again. – The Chronicle
