The Sunday Mail
Levi Mukarati and Shamiso Yikoniko
Chitungwiza Central Hospital is set to become a world class medical institution with construction of a 11 storey building to house specialist services such as organ and bone marrow transplants expected to begin next year. The Sunday Mail has established that funding has already been secured for the four year project that will see the hospital offer services to cater for very very important persons (VVIP) such as state presidents.
Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive officer Dr Obadiah Moyo was quick to allay fears that the new facility would push costs beyond the reach of many low income earners saying that the priority of Chitungwiza hospital was residents in the dormitory town.
“We have a policy where patients are served first before payment and that is what drives Chitungwiza Central Hospital. We do not envisage a situation where we will move away from that,” he said.
Last week, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said the hospital had submitted the plan which now awaits cabinet approval.
“Chitungwiza Central Hospital has submitted, to the Ministry, a document outlining the concept, the proposed plan as well as other relevant supporting information. The Ministry will now move to present the issue to Government,” he said.
The institution will also offer medical air rescue services and other life saving procedures such as neurosurgery, cardiology and oncology which Zimbabweans have been accessing outside the country. Dr Obadiah Moyo said construction of the main building and other supporting structures would be spread on 10 hectares and the ground was available.
“The current hospital sits on more than 10 hectares which is mostly idle. The construction of the new structures will see the old buildings being converted to nurse training facilities,” he said.
“The new hospital will have state-of-the-art equipment that uses radiation for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, laparoscopy which is a surgery that uses a thin, lighted tube put through an incision in the belly to look at the abdominal organs, VVIP ward and a helipad among other specialist services.”
“Our aim is to create a facility that is fully digitalised and we hope it will create new employment opportunities for the local health professionals and administrators.”
However, Dr Moyo could not disclose the cost of the total project.
“We cannot divulge the financial aspect as per agreement with those prepared to fund the construction,” he said.
Chitungwiza Central Hospital was officially opened by President Robert Mugabe in 1986 as a general hospital. It gained the central hospital status in 2005 and became the first health institution to achieve quality management systems IS0 9001 of 2008 certification in 2008.
