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Plans to set up a medical board for Kadoma General Hospital are now at an advanced stage, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Speaking during a tour of the hospital last week, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said Government was ready to appoint a fully fledged board for the hospital.

The hospital was recently refurbished through a $2,5 million financial injection by platinum giant, Zimplats, which saw the institution receive a major facelift.

Kadoma General Hospital was built in 1932 and had dilapidated over the years. A community health council executive was in charge of running the hospital’s affairs.

In place of the medical board, the hospital had been relying on a community health council executive.

“The biggest challenge lying ahead is on maintenance and a budget for that should be set aside hence the urgent need of a medical board,” Dr Parirenyatwa said.

He applauded Zimplats for helping renovate infrastructure at the hospital.

“Zimplats, we applaud you for a wonderful job,” he said.

“On the official opening, we hope to invite other big mines so that they emulate what you have done here and assist other hospitals like Siakobvu in Kariba.”

Dr Parirenyatwa toured the hospital in the company of Health and Child Care secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji, Mashonaland West provincial medical director Dr Wenceslas Nyamayaro, Zimplats chief executive Mr Alex Mhembere, senior Government and zanu-pf provincial leadership.

Kadoma General Hospital medical superintendent Dr Frankson Masiye said the renovations had motivated staff to work harder.

“We will now continue with our mandate of not only offering curative, but also preventive services as well,” he said.

“As an institute, we cannot show well our gratitude, but we will extend it towards quality health care for community we serve.”

zanu-pf  Kadoma Central candidate for the National Assembly Cde Fani Phiri expressed the community’s gratitude towards the new developments.

“This is indeed a miracle. Zimplats used to assist other districts in Mhondoro-Ngezi and Zvimba, but finally we benefited and we are more than grateful,” he said.

Cde Phiri said Kadoma residents, who were shunning the dilapidated institution, have started seeking services at the hospital.

The refurbishment and renovation programme has seen water supplies being restored at the hospital through the drilling of two boreholes with capacity to meet the hospital’s portable water needs.

The project also saw the rehabilitation of the ablution facilities and sewer systems after they broke down as far as 2005.

There was also resurfacing of surrounding feeder roads, installation of a new perimeter fence, a new laundry with modern washing machines, driers and ironing equipment and a state-of-the-art kitchen.