mbulelo smpofu
Raymond Jaravaza, raymondjaravaza@gmail.com
HEALTH and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, has pledged to engage the Treasury to expedite the release of an outstanding US$1,9 million owed to the contractor of Lupane Provincial Hospital.
The funds are critical to fast-tracking the completion of the province’s largest referral health institution, which will serve a catchment area of over 700 000 people in Matabeleland North.
The construction of Lupane Provincial Hospital is at varying stages, with some sections 70 percent complete, while others lag at just 20 percent.
Touring the hospital site last Thursday, Dr Mombeshora expressed concern over delays caused by poor co-ordination between stakeholders.
“This is my first time touring Lupane Provincial Hospital and I can see that a lot of work has been done, but let me say that the biggest challenge I see here is a lack of co-ordination between our ministry and those supervising the construction,” he said.
“The most important thing is to sit down, decide and re-prioritise which departments must be completed first so that the hospital can start working. The idea is to identify the critical departments that must be completed so that patients can start using the hospital.”
Dr Mombeshora also stressed the importance of staff accommodation, noting Lupane’s status as a developing town makes it difficult for hospital personnel to find housing.
“Lupane is not yet a town where hospital staff can outsource accommodation so it’s important that hospital accommodation for general hands to specialists, is completed before the hospital can start working,” he said.
“In any hospital, the largest population of patients are the in-patients in the medical wards so we need to make sure that those areas are urgently looked into and completed as soon as possible.”
He highlighted the urgent need for theatre rooms within the maternity department, which are still far from completion. He pledged to discuss the matter with Finance Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, to prioritise funding for the project.
“The maternity department needs to be reconsidered because we need theatre rooms, which at this moment are still very far from being completed,” he said.
“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 and coming for reviews. It is not like a casualty department, so it must not be the priority to be completed.”
Lupane Provincial Hospital is a 250-bed public referral facility and a flagship project under the Second Republic. It marks a significant step in the Government’s commitment to improving access to quality healthcare in line with Vision 2030.
Since Lupane was designated the provincial capital in 1999, the hospital’s construction had stalled for decades. However, the Second Republic has accelerated progress, raising hopes for its imminent completion.
Once operational, the hospital will reduce the burden on privately-run St Luke’s Hospital and Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo, which serve patients from Lupane, Nkayi, Gokwe, and Binga districts.
The facility will also serve as a training centre for health specialists, enhancing the region’s healthcare capacity and providing top-tier services locally.
The hospital’s completion is expected to bring relief to thousands of villagers who have long endured challenges accessing healthcare, marking a new era in the province’s health services.
Dr Mombeshora was accompanied by his deputy, Sleiman Timios Kwidini, chief director of curative services, Dr Maxwell Hove, and Matabeleland North provincial medical director, Dr Admire Kuretu, among other officials.
