MEDICAL Investment’s flagship company the Avenues Clinic, has opened Montagu Clinic as a COVID-19 management centre in a bid to boost the country’s capacity to deal with the pandemic that has raged havoc across the globe.
By Michael Gwarisa
Zimbabwe currently has 25 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including three deaths. However, the country’s ability to handle a surge in COVID-19 infections has faced mixed feelings owing to the lack of adequately equipped COVID-19 management centres around the country.
Speaking to HealthTimes, Avenues Clinic Corporate Communications officer, Mrs Cordelia Shereni said the recently upgraded Montagu Clinic was part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative and had been assessed for readiness by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Montagu COVID-19 Relief Trust is a foundation set up by the Medical Investment Limited as a CSR initiative. The mandate for the foundation is to complement the existing COVID-19 response centres using available expertise, facilities and experience in hospital management.
“The foundation has been set up under collaboration and guidance of the Minister of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) and the World Health Organisation. The main facility for the foundation, Montagu Clinic is located at number 135 Jasiah Chinamano Avenue in the Avenues area and the facility was offered by Medical Investments Limited as a COVID-19 response centre for case isolation and management,” said Mrs Shereni.
She added that the facility will be manned by a sizable number of skilled personnel ranging from pediatricians, physicians, pharmacists, health care assistants, registered general nurses, anesthetists, intensive care unit nurses, service and admin staff and physiotherapists.
Meanwhile, Mrs Shereni invited donors and well wishers to assist in financing the equipping and full upgrade of the facility to ensure quality service is delivered to those who fall sick from the virus.
“We are happy that some corporates have already come on board to assist in the upgrading of services at the facility. The need is still there and we are strongly appealing to players in the corporate world and other potential sponsors to come through and assist in any way possible.
“We are calling on members of the private sector, captains of industry and commerce, members of the diplomatic and donor community for assistance in the form of contributions and donations, in cash or in kind for assistance in meeting operational costs among other costs at the facility.”
