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Bulawayo Bureau
Mpilo Central Hospital has received about $400 000 from Government for its operations at a time when the institution is faced with budgetary constraints.

The health institution was allocated $560 000 by Treasury in the 2015 national budget against a bid of over $15 million.

Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer, Dr Leonard Mabhandi, said the hospital had been surviving on paltry hospital collections.

“The hospital has not been spared by the economic challenges that bedevil both the private and public sectors. The hospital was allocated $560,000 against the budget of $15, 3 million for the year 2015.

“The hospital has received $397,000 and it is surviving on hospital collections which only make about 20 percent of what the hospital requires,” said Dr Mabhandi.

He said the hospital was owed $16 million while it owes its creditors about $4 million.

The acting chief executive officer said this during the hospital graduation ceremony of 170 nurses, 66 general nurses and 104 midwives at the Large City Hall yesterday.

Eight student nurses dropped out from both the school of nursing and midwifery for various reasons, among them failing the introductory courses and social reasons.

Dr Mabhandi revealed that the hospital was hit by an acute shortage of qualified personnel in a number of departments due to the harsh economic challenges faced by the country.

“The institution has a lot of vacancies which the hospital cannot fill without treasury concurrence. It is because of the economic hardships the country is going through due to the illegal sanctions imposed on this beautiful country.

“The hospital continues to lose senior members of staff who have a wealth of experience,” said Dr Mabhandi.

“Of 160 doctors in post there are 40 vacancies ; 1,061 nurses in post there are 331 vacancies; in the radio therapy departments 24 in post and 75 vacancies and nutritionists 20 in post and 10 vacancies,” he said.

There are also vacancies for the clinical director, chief pharmacist and psychologist posts.

Dr Mabhandi thanked donors and the hospital’s partners for joining hands to improve services at the institution.

He announced that the hospital’s private ward would be opened before the end of the year.

The guest of honour at the graduation ceremony, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Aldrin Musiiwa said the government was working on improving health services and welfare of health workers.

“As you graduate today, the Ministry is critically working to substantially increase health financing, recruitment, development and retention of health workforce in Zimbabwe,” said the Deputy Minister.

“Currently, the health system worldwide is experiencing a lot of challenges. I therefore want us to put some of these challenges into perspective as they have a bearing on the current status of health care.”