Boost for health sector Adv Mudenda
Adv Mudenda

Adv Mudenda

Farirai Machivenyika: Senior Reporter

The country’s health delivery system is set to receive a major boost following indications that three Indian companies have expressed interest in investing in the sector while the Asian country has begun preparations for the construction of two hospitals for war veterans.This came out following a meeting between Indian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Rungsung Masakui and the Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda at his Parliament offices yesterday.

“There are three hospitals who have expressed interest in coming and setting up hospitals here,” Ambassador Masakui said.

“It is up to the Government of Zimbabwe to engage any one of them or they can engage two of them and I have been offered by Mr Speaker, Dr Joshua Nkomo’s hospitals (Ekusileni Medical Centre) which is not functioning so it is up to the Indian hospitals to come here and pick up the model that is viable and a model that can be replicated here in Zimbabwe,” he said.

Ekusileni Medical Centre is a brainchild of the late VP Dr Nkomo, but has not been operational for the past 15 years due to various challenges.

In his remarks Adv Mudenda said plans were afoot to make Zimbabwe a centre of medical tourism with the assistance of the Indian Government.

“The ambassador said we need to improve medical tourism. India is a leading country now in as far as medical expertise and medical facilities that are affordable to patients and that is why a number of patients are going to India and not only from Zimbabwe, but all over the world.

“The ambassador is in agreement that instead of patients going to India, a process has begun of identifying one or two hospitals and upgrade them and bring in the Indian model of medical care with a team of doctors initially and thereafter the local doctors will take over and implement that model that will be affordable to the people of Zimbabwe, but also to sadc and also other countries so that Zimbabwe will become a centre of medical excellence because of its central position,” said Adv Mudenda.

He said the Indian Government had also expressed their willingness to construct memorial hospitals for war veterans.

“There were proposals for two memorial hospitals dedicated for veterans of the liberation struggle, one in Victoria Falls and the other in Harare.

The Indian Government is desirous that these two should be constructed and some preliminary works are underway. This will be an important historical landmark dedicated to veterans of our liberation struggle,” said Adv Mudenda.

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