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Dr Obadiah Moyo

Lovemore Meya Herald Correspondent
Chitungwiza Central Hospital has submitted its strategic plan to construct an 11-storey facility at a cost of $500 million to the Ministry of Health and Child Care for approval, an official has said.

The hospital is currently admitting 500 patients.

Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive Dr Obadiah Moyo said the new structure was set to take off as soon as their plan was approved.

“On our part we have done everything that was relevant and submitted to the Ministry of Health and Child Care specifically to the permanent secretary (Dr Gerald Gwinji),” said Dr Moyo.

“It is going to cost us about $500 million and once we have received the green light, we go to tender for the various interested parties to respond and submit their bids. There are so many people and organisations from China, South Africa and even from the United States who saw our suggestion and were quite willing to participate.”

Dr Moyo said the hospital had become too small, hence the need to expand it.

“The hospital has definitely become too small, we need to move in that direction for us to expand the hospital. This project will ensure that we are able to capture more of our population and we do not end up in a situation where we turn away patients. We want to be able to admit everyone and right now the arrival rate of patients is very high while admission is a bit static due to insufficient number of beds,” he said.

He said the hospital was getting patients from all the provinces.

“We get patients from all provinces and the current situation is restricting us to just 500 patients when in actual fact we are saying probably much more than 1 000 patients need admission.

“Our plans are that we will come up with an 11 storey facility, which has already been approved by the Ministry of Health and we are just waiting for logistics. It is necessary to have that facility, which will be fully equipped and should be able to cater for all the medical requirements for all the patients.”

Dr Gwinji confirmed receiving the hospital’s strategic plan.