By Rukudzo Gota
Top Zimbabwean Government officials toured hospital facilities in Bulawayo to assess the provision of services in the metropolitan province. Vice President Kembo Mohadi and Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora last week visited Cowdray Park Mini-Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), Mpilo Central Hospital, and Ingutsheni Central Hospital.
The tour followed a series of visits to central hospitals in Harare Metropolitan Province by the Health Minister. President Emmerson Mnangagwa had earlier made impromptu visits to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.
The visits aim to demonstrate strong political will and commitment at the highest level to address critical needs within the healthcare system, from improving infrastructure to ensuring the availability of medical supplies, thereby paving the way for equitable access to quality health services for all citizens.
The first stop was at Ingutsheni Central Hospital, where the Minister accompanied Vice President Mohadi. The Vice President emphasized the need for the hospital’s rehabilitation.
What pleased me at this institution is that you have no problems with the drugs. Your medicines side of things is good. However, your institution is quite old. In 1908, I don’t think there was any of us here when it was built. So the systems and the materials that were used definitely tire or they get old and the substances that were used then were different,” said the Vice President.
So I have come here to witness for myself what is obtaining here. We will try to get some funding so that we can work on the rehabilitation side of this place.”
The Health Minister then proceeded to Mpilo Central Hospital, where discussions revolved around its potential to evolve into a center for advanced medical interventions and research. Dr Mombeshora emphasized the need to equip the hospital with modern technologies, improve working conditions, and commit to ongoing infrastructure development.
He later visited Cowdray Park Mini-Hospital, a community facility serving a large and growing population. At Cowdray Park, the Minister focused on the clinic’s capacity to handle primary healthcare needs, including maternal and child health services and the availability of essential medicines. He commended the staff for their dedication despite resource constraints, stressing the importance of accessible grassroots healthcare.
“At least one of the most important things that I have seen today is that our drug stock levels have gone up and on average we are hovering between 60 and 70 percent, which is good. Ideally, it’s not the best. Ideally, we should be 100 percent.
I say it’s good because where we are coming from, last year we ended at around 49 percent, so we are currently going in the right direction.
I was also looking at the structures where we see areas that need renovations or upgrading. Also, I am looking at the issue of equipment because some of the equipment in our institutions is quite old.
