Medical boon in the Lowveld

 

Ray Bande
Senior Reporter

 

IN a not so distant past, St Peter’s Mission Hospital in Chipinge South Constituency could only admit up to six males due to lack of requisite amenities, irrespective of it being a referral medical institution whose catchment area totals 19 clinics — 16 in Chipinge District and three in the neighbouring Masvingo Province.

 

Precisely, St Peter’s Mission Hospital catchment area has a population of more than 120 000 people.

 

In terms of its size, St Peter’s Mission Hospital has a relatively bigger catchment area than most district hospitals around the country.

 

St Peter’s Mission Hospital recently underwent a major facelift with Government, as well as Cde Porusingazi, through the Constituency Development Fund, coming in to offer the much needed help in boosting its capacity to offer health services.

 

 

To date, the medical institution can now accommodate almost 30 males in its male ward.

 

The maternity wing of the hospital has been a major challenge due to overflows that are usually experienced, but recent interventions by Government have seen a considerable expansion of its capacity to admit and execute more deliveries.

 

The improvement of the health care delivery system in the Lowveld, particularly at St Peter’s Mission Hospital, reached its climax last week on Saturday when President Mnangagwa handed over a donation of an ambulance, 24 hospital beds, four delivery beds, one aesthetic machine, five oxygen concentrators, four patient monitors, 10 humidifiers, four drip stands and two boxes of nasal oxygen cannula.

 

 

 

The latest donation came hard on the heels of yet another contribution made to the medical institution by Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga in May.

 

As if that was not enough, local Member of the House of Assembly, Cde Enock Porusingazi, recently completed the construction of a male ward at St Peter’s Mission Hospital.

 

Thus Dr Stephen Mbiri, head of the institution said: “We have no words to describe our appreciation to the help that we have received from Government. We are really thankful, given the challenges we have been facing.

 

“We cover 16 clinics here in Chipinge District and three clinics from Masvingo, to make it 19. This presented a challenge to our health delivery system given that we could only accommodate six males. Now we can go to almost 30.

 

“The maternity overflows have also been a major challenge to us in the past, given that we usually have about 250 to 300 deliveries per month. It is a huge workload,” said Dr Mbiri.

 

 

While there are major challenges that still needs to be addressed, the journey walked so far speaks to the positive development that inspires hope for improved health delivery system in the Lowveld.

 

With 19 nursing staff already on board and 19 vacant posts, St Peter’s Mission Hospital can still look into the future with hope for Government assistance after President Mnangagwa fulfilled the promise to equip the institution.

 

 

 

In his brief speech as he handed over the equipment, the Zanu PF First Secretary pledged more assistance to the institution.
He said Government is duty bound to intervene in situations of need.

 

“When Vice-President Chiwenga came down here for a wellness programme with Minister Kirsty Coventry, he handed over a donation to this hospital, but took heed of the things that this hospital needed.

 

“We therefore made a pledge to bring the equipment that was needed. It is Government’s responsibility to intervene when there is need.

 

 

“We will be doing much more for the hospital because we know it is not yet enough. We can never solve everything in a day, but we are happy that we have managed to fulfil the pledge we made,” he said.

 

President Mnangagwa’s administration is taking development to all corners of the country through his mantra of leaving no place and no one behind.