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From left Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Paul Chimedza, Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa, Local Govt, Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo, Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology deputy Minister, Godfrey Gandawa, Dr Shield Kajese Chidamoyo medical superintendent and acting permanent secretary ministry of health Dr Gibson Mhlanga assess the value of the destroyed medical drugs at Chidamoyo Mission Hospital that was recently gutted down by fire in Hurungwe

Paidamoyo Chipunza Health Reporter
About 5 000 HIV patients at Chidamoyo Mission Hospital in Hurungwe have been left stranded after fire last week gutted part of the hospital and destroyed drugs, including anti-retrovirals worth over US$2 million.
The fire believed to have started in the kitchen just after midnight last Thursday, quickly spread to the cold room, kitchen storeroom, drug storeroom and laundry, destroying equipment, linen and part of the building.
Equipment destroyed, included heavy duty washing machines and cookers.

“We are not yet sure whether it was an electrical fault or a lightning bolt, but technicians from Zesa Holdings came and made their assessment and they are also not sure what caused the fire,” said the hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Shield Kajese.

Briefing Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa and Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Ignatius Chombo during a tour of the hospital yesterday, Dr Kajese said the hospital was still attending to out patients and was borrowing limited ARVs and TB drugs from Karoi and Chinhoyi hospitals.

He said a few other drugs which were in the pharmacy were spared from the fire. Dr Kajese said the maternity ward was still doing deliveries, including caesarian sections and the theatre was reconnected on Tuesday.

He said a makeshift kitchen where food for patients is prepared has been constructed outside the buildings.

“We are trying as much as possible not to admit patients whom we can send to other hospitals, but we are still attending to out patients, including distribution of the borrowed ARVs, TB drugs,” said Dr Kajese.

Speaking after touring the hospital, Minister Chombo said a team of engineers would soon be dispatched to the hospital to assess and recommend what needs to be done.

“A lot of preliminary work has already been done,” he said.

“What needs to be done now is to get some experts to guide us on how we can proceed,” Minister Chombo said.

Minister Parirenyatwa applauded the Chidamoyo community for helping in putting out the fire and promised that Government would do all it could to ensure that health services returned to normal at the hospital.

“We want to ensure that the damage is repaired and availability of medicines is restored soonest,” he said.

“This is why we are here to assess the level of the damages.”

The minister said although the fire was unfortunate, it provided Government with an opportunity to re-look into other issues affecting the hospital.

Hurungwe North member of House of Assembly Dr Godfrey Gandawa, who is also the Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, said the assistance that had come so far was limited.

He said the hospital still had challenges in buying building materials and other regimens of ARVs and lacked equipment such as washing machines and stoves. Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Paul Chimedza, acting Secretary Dr Gibson Mhlanga and other senior Government officials were part of the delegation that toured the hospital. Chidamoyo Mission Hospital is a 100-bed hospital established in 1963 and it caters for about 35 000 people in Hurungwe.