The ManicaPost
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has released an additional $20 million for the rehabilitation of isolation centres in Manicaland as the province moves a gear up in the fight against Covid-19.
The Mutare Infectious Disease Hospital (MIDH) received an injection of $12 million, which is expected to facilitate the completion of rehabilitation works and the procurement of equipment.
The balance will be equally distributed to the isolation centres at Nyanga and Chipinge district hospitals.
Provincial Public Works Department head, Mr Tendai Chiwanza said work on the MIDH’s Intensive Care Unit is almost complete, while the installation of medical piped gas at the Victoria Chitepo (Mutare) Provincial Hospital is in progress.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care recently took over the rehabilitation works of the main wing of the MIDH, while the rehabilitation of the facility’s ICU was being done by Mutare City Council in partnership with Mutare businesses.
“We adopted a multi-stakeholders approach at the MIDH’s ICU unit and we are now finalising paint work and tiling. While work at the unit is ongoing, we have started demolishing the main wing’s walls to create isolation wards. We are also making way for the construction of donning and doffing rooms at the entrance and exit of the facility. A bill of quantities has been done and we are currently procuring materials,” Mr Chiwanza said.
For Victoria Chitepo Hospital, he said the $3 million that has been availed so far has been gobbled by the piped oxygen unit.
Construction workers have therefore started painting while waiting for more funds.
Mutare City Council spokesperson, Mr Spren Mutiwi said besides the rehabilitation works, part of the $12 million from Treasury will be used in co-ordination planning, operational support and logistics, risk communication and community engagement, surveillance, the laboratory, infection prevention and control, case management and security.
“Government’s intervention will go a long way in expediting the construction work considering that funding has been a major challenge. Procurement of the materials is already in full swing,” he said.
The overall transformation of the MIDH requires US$1,4 million.
Besides the two centres in Mutare, at least 12 other isolation centres across the province have been targeted for renovations.
Three centres have been identified at Chipinge District hospital, Mutema Hospital and St Peter’s Hospital in Checheche, Chipinge.
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, three centres will be located at Old Mutare Mission Hospital, Bonda Mission Hospital and Hauna District Hospital, while Makoni will have one in Rusape.
Work at the Chipinge and Nyanga units, which have received $4 million each, will start soon.
In Mutasa, Member of National Assembly for Mutasa Central, Mr Trevor Saruwaka has also engaged stakeholders to pool resources for the rehabilitation of the centre at Bonda.
As of Wednesday night, $48 050 and US$360 had been raised through the crowdfunding initiative.
Other pledges of protective clothing, painting, plumbing materials and fuel had also come through from various well-wishers and companies operating in the area.
