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Conrad Mupesa

Mashonaland West Bureau

PROVIDING quality health care services to communities as enshrined in the country’s Constitution remains important for Chegutu Rural District Council, as it continues to construct clinics using devolution funds.

The council has so far constructed three new clinics in Wards 22, 23 and 26, with the help of communities.

Upon completion the clinics will end the challenges faced by 40 000 villagers who are presently walking more than 20km to access health care services.

Chegutu RDC’s social services manager, Mr Tawanda Kangai, said the construction of clinics was in line with President Mnangagwa’s vision of an upper middle income society by the year 2030.

“All the projects that we have embarked on from devolution funds are people-centred. Our communities have been travelling long distances to access health services and as a council, we have been failing to meet our end,” he said.

“We are grateful for the devolution funds that have gone a long way in the procurement of building material and other expenses for the three clinics.”

Chegutu RDC received over $60 million from its annual allocation last year, with almost half going towards construction of clinics.

The balance was channelled towards the purchase of a grader and roller.

Community members and villagers in Ward 22, where Danangwe Clinic has been constructed and is now operational, showered the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa with praises for ending their 20-year misery of walking for about 23km to the nearest health facility.

For Ms Lynette Munetsi, the opening of the clinic has been a great moment that most villagers never saw coming after the several years they have been clamouring for one.

“I am a village health worker who attends to community members suffering from diarrhoea and malaria. Before this clinic was opened, I used to travel for over 20km to access medication that I would administer to patients, but I am now walking for less than 5km to access them before helping my village,” she said.

Former councillor, Alderman Joseph Mashona who organised community members to mobilise bricks towards the clinic’s initial construction, said they are happy with the completion of the clinic.

Katawa villager, Mr Herbert Chipiri, thanked President Mnangagwa for operationalising the devolution agenda.

The nurse-in-charge at the clinic, Shylet Nyandoro, said over 100 people are attended to daily at the institution, which will open a maternity ward soon. Other services including attending to opportunistic infections are now being fully offered at the clinic, which also offers Covid-19 vaccination.

Ward 22 Councillor, Sumani Sumani, said Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)’s Inkomo Mechanised Brigade artisans provided technical support.

The clinic was handed over to the community by Brigadier General Themba Mlambo in September last year.

Zimplats, which operates in the district, has started installing solar power for water pumping and lighting at the clinic and in staff quarters as part of its social corporate investment.

Chegutu RDC chief executive officer, Mr Admire Machingura, said they were finishing off work at Brunswick Clinic in Ward 23 along Chegutu-Kadoma highway.

The clinic will not only benefit villagers, but also road traffic accident victims.

“We have another clinic which has neared completion with efforts being done to finish staff quarters. Staff quarters are now 30 percent complete and the clinic, which is along Selous-Turf road in Ward 26, will cater for over 10 000 people,” he said.

Mr Machingura said the large chunk of the $397 million allocated to the council under devolution this year will be used for the construction of more health care facilities.

Some of the money will be used to purchase road construction equipment.