VP Chiwenga tours Byo hospitals VP Chiwenga

Bulawayo Bureau

GOVERNMENT has pledged to release €55 000 to fix radiotherapy machines for cancer patients at Mpilo Central Hospital, as well as $56 million for the completion of the installation of lifts and renovations of high dependency unit and gas piping for Covid-19 patients.

The machines at Mpilo’s cancer unit for radiotherapy broke down in August due to overuse following the breakdown of machines at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare.

Mpilo and Parirenyatwa hospitals are the only specialised centres for radiotherapy treatment in Zimbabwe.

Each machine costs US$1,5 million.

Mpilo’s cancer unit caters for people from across the country.

Ingutsheni Central Hospital, a mental health referral institution, was identified as the southern region’s centralised mechanical workshop where all ambulances and other vehicles belonging to the Ministry of Health and Child Care would be serviced as part of decentralisation.

This was revealed by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also Minister of Health and Child Care, during his familiarisation tour of Ekusileni, Mpilo, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Ingutsheni yesterday.

VP Chiwenga paid tribute to health workers for playing a leading role as frontline workers in saving lives, saying Government was committed to addressing their concerns and improving conditions of service.

“I visited four hospitals to see the state of affairs and subsequently deal with the urgent challenges faced by the four health institutions,” he said.

“I was briefed on an urgent need for the repairing of radiotherapy machines at Mpilo Central Hospital cancer unit. At least 55 000 euros is required to fix the machines and that problem will be addressed on Monday.”

“We are aware that we have a mammoth task of looking after the southern region which comprises of five provinces, which include Masvingo, Midlands, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South and Bulawayo metropolitan,” he said.

“The population has also grown immensely more than that we had anticipated and, therefore, it means hospitals have to be expanded.

“We need to address the conditions of services for our health workers.

“When we are talking of conditions of service we are talking of accommodation, transport and staff cafeterias at workplaces.”

VP Chiwenga said the Health ministry was being restructured with a new sustainable funding model for greater effectiveness, and a new work ethic for staff.

He said in streamlining and expanding the operations of the ministry, the remuneration of health workers had been put at the core of the shake-up.

The reorganisation also seeks to transform the work ethic of health professionals, which will be aligned to the oath of their profession.

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