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Midlands Correspondent
Kwekwe City Council is set to convert a popular drinking spot, Garandichauya Beerhall, into an infectious diseases hospital.

The development was confirmed by the local authority’s director of health services, Dr Marry Muchekeza, during a devolution workshop held at Golden Mile Hotel last week.

Kwekwe City has five clinics, but does not have an infectious diseases referral centre.

“We had problems as a district during the cholera and typhoid outbreak since we did not have an infectious diseases centre,” she said.

“We, thus, have decided to turn the Garandichauya Beerhall which is currently lying idle, into that centre.”

Recently, another beerhall in Mbizo was converted into a clinic.

Dr Muchekeza said the local authority was facing challenges in providing adequate services due to a depleted ambulance fleet.

“Currently, we have only one ambulance and in case of any breakdown, we are left with no ambulance at all,” she said.

“This makes it difficult for us to provide proper services to our ratepayers.”

Dr Muchekedza said Kwekwe City was running out of grave sites.

“We have four grave sites: Mbizo, Amaveni, Centre and Msasa,” she said.

“Of these, Centre is already full to capacity, Amaveni is also on the verge of running out of grave space.

“We are, however, working on measures to find new sites where we can have new grave sites.”

The devolution workshop, funded by a development partner, CLGF, followed the visit by Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo who challenged the authorities to work with Government.

Redcliff Municipality and Zibagwe Rural District Council, which are also part of Kwekwe District, had representatives at the workshop.