Sinokubonga Nkala
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
THE completion of the US$60 million Lupane Provincial Hospital is hanging in the balance as the contractor abandoned the site in February this year.
Investigations have revealed that only US$10 million has been disbursed for the project, which began 20 years ago.
Last Thursday, Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Douglas Mombeshora visited the hospital and expressed his shock at the delays that have stalled its completion, noting that the hospital should have been finished a long time ago given its lengthy timeline.
He was joined by Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini, Dr Maxwell Hove, Chief Director of Curative Services, Dr Admire Kuretu, Provincial Medical Director for Matabeleland North Province, and other senior officials from the Ministry and various Government departments.
“The first challenge is the financial resources, from what we have been told here, very little has been paid and the contractors are off the site because of the funds that need to be paid to them so that work continues.
“When we return, I will talk to my counterpart, the Minister of Finance to see if funds can be prioritised for the hospital. The danger is that what you are seeing here especially when ceilings have been put up like this they start falling if nothing is done and that will take us back,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He said it is important to keep the momentum that was there in the beginning and ensure that certain departments are completed so that they do not start falling apart before they are used.
Dr Mombeshora said as a ministry they want to tackle a few projects at a time that they can complete and said Lupane Provincial Hospital is top on the list of priorities adding that the finding required is quite hefty but he will engage the treasury and let them know what the hospital is top priority.
He, however, said the cost of some materials may have changed due to the lapse in time and that will need to be considered.
“We cannot have a hospital that has all other departments ready but does not have the medical wards in place. We need to look at that. The maternity unit is also critical and needs to be re-planned, we need theatres there but it is still very far from being completed.
“I do not know if we really need an outpatient department here first without other critical departments, usually outpatients come from patients who have been seen in various departments who are coming for reviews, it is not like a casualty department, so it must not be the first priority to be completed,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He said, looking at the situation on the ground, it is critical to regroup and find a working solution to the current needs of the hospital.
“We will sit down and reprioritise and see how this plan can work well. It is all about financial resources, they have to be available. We have been talking about this hospital but we do not know how much is going to be on the budget for it.
“I have said when resources are not enough, the Ministry of Finance must also consult us so that we reprioritise, and show them all our projects and the money they require. When they then avail funds they cut budgets for some projects, but we are saying they must then ask us where we need the funds placed and we choose where to put the money so that we complete these projects,” he said.
The construction of the Lupane Provincial Hospital is at various stages with some areas at 70 percent complete while others are at 20 percent complete. The hospital has a catchment of over 700 000. — @NyembeziMu
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