Zimpapers Logo

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa looks at the awards given to Chitungwiza Central Hospital CEO Dr Obadiah Moyo during his tour of the hospital yesterday. Looking on is Mr Gideon Mapokotera. — (Picture by John Manzongo)

Health Reporter
Public health institutions should be innovative and consider joint venture projects with private companies to improve health delivery, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa has said.

Speaking after touring Chitungwiza Central Hospital yesterday, which has defied economic challenges to be a leading public health care provider, Dr Parirenyatwa said joint partnerships were the only way to keep the healthcare delivery system afloat.

“We have discussed that we need to be innovative in the health sector and think outside the box.

“We are, therefore, proud of Chitungwiza Central Hospital. They are being innovative. That is why we came here to give them support,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

Dr Parirenyatwa, who visited the hospital’s latest initiatives like the kidney transplant unit and the clinical trials unit, said the institution did well in pharmacy, radiology and laboratories’ units.

He said there was no doubt that the latest initiatives would succeed and benefit the majority of Zimbabwean population considering the hospital’s previous collaborative achievements.

The clinical trials unit would be run in conjunction with the African Institute of Biomedical Science and Technology (AiBST) while the kidney transplant unit was set up with assistance from Mimosa Mining Company.

Dr Parirenyatwa urged all health institutions in the country to follow suit by partnering with private companies to improve the healthcare system instead of relying on national budgetary allocations.

“We encourage joint ventures. We think that the world is moving towards increasing more collaboration between the private and public sector.

“If the public sector does not do well, the private sector will never do as well. Let us try to find a balance,” he said.

Dr Parirenyatwa challenged the hospital and its partner AiBST to consider medical research on African traditional medicines.

The hospital is working on assessing the suitability of Efavirenz— a drug used to manage HIV in Africans.

The research is expected to start before the end of the year.

Chitungwiza Central Hospital clinical director Mr Patrick Dhliwayo, who is also part of the kidney transplant team, said commencement of the operations was delayed by some yet to be acquired equipment.

Mr Dhliwayo said the hospital was in the process of engaging different companies to assist with the equipment before the programme commences.

“We have built the units for patient care, theatres are ready and we have our dialysis care, so what remain is the equipment in order for us to carry out kidney transplantation.

“We are a bit behind in that aspect and we are looking for partners to help us in establishing the kidney transplant unit,” he said.

Should the hospital secure the equipment, Zimbabwe would be able to perform kidney transplants, which is the only permanent solution to the treatment of kidney failure.