The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter
THE Mutare business community has raised more than ZW$1,6 million to kick-start rehabilitation of the Intensive Care Unit at Mutare Infectious Disease Hospital, which has been identified as the province’s Covid-19 isolation centre.
Deliveries of building material to the hospital started last Saturday.
By Monday, contractors had moved onsite to start work.
According to authorities, US$1,4 million is required for the rehabilitation of the Mutare City Council-run facility.
But for now, focus is being placed on the ICU wing to ensure the province’s preparedness in the event that Covid-19 cases are confirmed in the province.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president, Mrs Victoria Jakazi said all companies operating in the city had agreed to chip in with both monetary and material contributions.
“We mobilised the Mutare business community and we adopted the ICU wing which used to house serious tuberculosis cases.
“According to the Bill of Quantities we received from the city health department, ZW$1,3 million was needed for the structural work only. As of late last week, we had raised ZW$1,6 million,” she said.
Mutare City Council started demolishing part of the walls in the wing to pave way for the construction work, which will see the structure of the building being modified to suit the standards of an isolation centre.
Mrs Jakazi said corporates had already started mobilising more resources for the required equipment.
“The corporates under CZI will work on the infrastructure, but we are also contacting other stakeholders for us to get beds, ventilators and utensils to be used in the hospital. We are also talking to our local banks to come in and provide some blankets and mattresses. We are still looking for more people to come on board, even those from outside Mutare,” she said.
Mrs Jakazi said some of the materials needed are not available locally, hence they had engaged contractors working on St Anne’s Hospital in Harare for assistance.
Mutare City health services director, Dr Anthony Mutara confirmed that work had already begun at MIDH.
“We are currently focusing on the ICU because we want to have something functional at the hospital as soon as possible. The business community has come on board in a big way and we are thankful for their assistance. But once that wing is completed, the figures will drastically change as there is more work to be done on the rest of the hospital,” he said.
MIDH is the main provincial isolation centre, but plans are underway to establish at least three more facilities in each district to avoid pilling pressure on the provincial centre in the treatment and management of Covid-19 cases.
Victoria Chitepi Provincial Hospital has already turned the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision Unit into an isolation facility.
Government also has plans to build another facility at the hospital.
Chairperson of the provincial Covid-19 infrastructure and maintenance sub-committee Mr Tendai Chiwanza said each district hospital is supposed to have one isolation facility.
He said Chipinge district would have three centres at Chipinge District Hospital, Mutema Hospital and St Peter’s Mission Hospital.
Nyanga District Hospital will house the only facility to be established in the district, while Buhera will have four centres at Murambinda Hospital, Buhera Rural Hospital, Birchenough Bridge Hospital and Gumire Clinic.
In Mutasa, the three centres will be located at Old Mutare Mission Hospital, Bonda Mission Hospital and Hauna District Hospital, while Makoni will have one in Rusape.
“We already have the designs and Bill of Quantities for all these facilities. What is left is the procurement of equipment once resources have been made available, hopefully by end of this week,” said Mr Chiwanza.
