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George Maponga in Masvingo

Construction of a Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Masvingo Provincial Hospital is on track with the project set to be completed in the near future aiding the province’s capacity to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ICU is being bankrolled by platinum miner Mimosa Mining Company which set aside funds for the project that will serve as the province’s flagship Covid-19 isolation centre.

Vice President Kembo Mohado inaugurated the project last year which has however, been beset by delays in completion.

Masvingo Covid-19 provincial taskforce chair and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira today said the taskforce was pulling all the stops to have the project completed.

He added that everything was on track to finish the ICU which is key in the fight against coronavirus.

“There might have been delays in finishing the project because of unseen challenges but we want to assure stakeholders that the project is on course because there are adequate funds that have been set aside to finish the work,” said Minister Chadzamira.

“We are grateful to Mimosa for funding the whole project and we have put mechanisms in place to make sure there are no further delays to finish outstanding work.”

Minister Chadzamira noted that those involved in construction work on the project have since been been designated as an essential service to make sure there was no work stoppage.

The the project is now around 70 percent complete and is expected to be completed within the next two months with sources indicating shortage of key materials ostensibly due to the prevailing lockdown.

Currently Masvingo City and the province rely on Rujeko Clinic Isolation centre to admit seriously ill Covid-19 patients.

However, the isolation facility is too small and cannot accommodate many patients while its equipment is also largely antiquated.