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Paidamoyo Chipunza Health Reporter
Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals is appealing for US$4,5 million from the corporate world to refurbish 32 wards in the main hospital.
In an interview, the hospital’s director of operations Mr Edson Mundenda said through a campaign code named: ‘adopt a ward’ the hospital intends to partner with the corporate sector in making this enormous task a success.

Mr Mundenda said through the campaign, a company will adopt a ward and renew it from standard old hospital beds, metal lockers, cardiac tables and chairs to modern three leaver beds and matching bedside lockers, chairs and convenient cardiac tables.

He said the company will also be expected to upgrade lighting, plumbing, ceilings, walls, flooring and curtaining in the adopted ward to match world standards.

The estimated cost of refurbishing and refurnishing a standard ward is US$139 400.

A standard ward constitutes six cubicles with four beds each and six other beds for the side wards.

“We appeal to the corporate world to work with us in this project because Government alone cannot do this.

“Our hope is that if the corporate world assists us in refurbishing the wards, our resources will be directed to other critical areas such as medicines and sundries,’ said Mr Mundenda.

He said in the previous budget, the hospital was promised US$5 million but only US$1 million came through.

Although he could not be drawn to say how much the hospital was realising from revenues, Mr Mundenda said 75 percent of all hospital operations were funded from the institution’s collections.

Mr Mundenda said the hospital has identified six teams of twos, who will be approaching companies and church organisations to partner with the hospital.

The hospital’s public relations manager Mrs Jane Dadzie said Parirenyatwa Hospital sees an average of 800 in-patients every day.

She said in addition about 300 patients are seen at the casualty department where nearly 100 of them are admitted into the wards.

Mrs Dadzie said a number of other clinics such as neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecological are run every day at the institution.

“Parirenyatwa is the flagship for the national healthcare system and is the national pride for all Zimbabweans in terms of public health care delivery,” she said.

She said over the years, efforts were to ensure that the hospital infrastructure, equipment and services are properly maintained and kept functional.

“However, due to limited and strained resources which we attribute to the economic downturn the institution has not been able to continuously maintain the ideal standards of a specialised referral centre resulting in incessant deterioration of equipment and dilapidation of infrastructure,” she said.

Mrs Dadzie said this necessitated the ‘adopt a ward’ campaign.