Trauma Centre on the mend
Herald Reporter
Owners of AMI Harare Hospital, formerly known as Trauma Centre and Hospital, have said the recent court eviction of Dr Vivek Solanki from the facility has presented them with an opportunity to upgrade its status through an expansion and renovation exercise.The hospital, which had been temporarily closed to allow AMI to take stock of the equipment and sundries after winning its control in the courts in September, will open its casualty department in the first quarter of next year.
The renovation exercise, which will result in the addition of either one spacious floor or two more floors, will commence in May 2015 and will increase the number of beds from 14 to nearly 50.
AMI has since made designs of the renovations on the two plans which are being looked at by the Harare City Council for approval.
AMI went through several court applications to regain the hospital after Dr Solanki of Autoband Investments had attempted to snatch it from the firm.
The Supreme Court put the case to rest in September this year by ordering the eviction of Dr Solanki from the upmarket facility in Harare’s Belgravia area.
AMI spokesperson Mr Peter Annesley said in an interview yesterday that they expected the hospital, including the additional floors, to be fully operational by the third quarter of next year.
“The strategy for 2015 is based on managing the proposed hospital expansion and recommencing operations,” said Mr Annesley.
“Phase One will see the re-opening of the casualty services in the first quarter – this period will see recruitment of medical and support staff, training and application of permits.”
Mr Annesley said phase two would include the expansion project.
“This means that the planning, design and approvals phase that is currently underway should be completed during the first quarter, with tendering and contract awards being finalised early second quarter and commencement of construction as planned on May 1 2015 and an anticipated hospital opening in late third quarter of 2015,” he said.
“This expansion will place AMI Hospital Harare in a truly unique position of being an unrivalled mid-sized premium healthcare facility. It will be positioned between the giants of Avenues Clinic and St Anne’s Hospital and the explosion of the vital 24-hour Casualty and Emergency Centres that are being developed in and around Harare.”
Since being restored ownership and possession of the hospital and remaining business operating assets, AMI had to manage its way through a US$3,5 million recapitalisation deficit.
The recapitalisation deficit was caused by extensive legal fees to preserve the firm’s rights through the barrage of more than 30 legal cases, repayment of creditors and the loss of US$495 000 of drugs, pharmaceuticals and hospital consumables.
After moving in following the eviction of Dr Solanki, AMI found abandoned utility bills and loss of US$224 000 to debtors who failed to honour their indebtedness because of lack of follow-up by the previous administration.
Some of the hospital equipment like the TC-X-Ray Lead Door, patient beds, cot beds, monitors and other medical equipment, vehicles like a staff bus, ambulances and medical response cars and computer servers have been removed from the hospital.
AMI shareholders had poured in US$9,57 million into the hospital.
Company documents with records from the administration offices and accounts department have also been taken away.
AMI shareholders had poured in $9,57 million into the hospital.
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