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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
Government is committed to work with churches and other organisations to revamp the health services and guarantee universal health coverage as a means to improve people’s lives.

This was said by Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga when he officially re-opened St Anne’s Hospital in Harare this afternoon.

The 165-bed hospital is owned by the Roman Catholic Church and has been closed since 2016 for refurbishments.

It was opened last year to help confront the Covid-19 pandemic and today it has been re-opened as a general hospital.

VP Chiwenga said the Government will help the expansion of the hospital in line with collaborations enunciated by President Mnangagwa when he spoke at Karanda Mission Hospital recently.

“My Ministry is highly appreciative of the Church’s role in complementing government efforts in the provision of health care services to the citizens of our nation,” he said.

“I am very much aware of the contribution of St Anne’s Hospital to the health care system in Zimbabwe. I say this because it is our responsibility as a Ministry to ensure that our people: our fathers and mothers, our sons and daughters have access to quality health care services.”

VP Chiwenga said St Annes and other institutions loosened the burden on the Government in confronting the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said the church proactively heeded the Government’s call to re-open St Anne’s Hospital as a Covid-19 treatment and care centre.

“It is my sincere hope that as we re-open St Anne’s Hospital as a general hospital, we will continue to work together in the realisation of our common goal which is the expansion and modernisation of our public health facilities,” said VP Chiwenga.

“To this effect, I would like to acknowledge the great works of the Religious Sisters of the Little Company of Mary who came to Zimbabwe in 1937 and opened St Anne’s Hospital.

“The hospital has given birth to several mission hospitals which include Mt St Mary’s in Hwedza, St Peters Mission Hospital at Checheche, Murambinda Mission Hospital in Buhera, Mashambanzou Care Trust in Waterfalls, among others.”