Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. HARARE City Council is set to benefit from a US$1 million partnership with the Switzerland government to upgrade healthcare facilities which are collapsing after years of under-funding and neglect.
The partnership will focus on creating capacity for diagnostics equipment and upgrading the Mabvuku Polyclinic to provide 24-hour casualty services.
Mbuya Nehanda Polyclinic is currently closed for renovation and its services have been moved to Mabvuku Polyclinic.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday at Town House, mayor Jacob Mafume said the upgrade would help to reduce the burden on other healthcare facilities.
“We are also looking at how we can upgrade the Mabvuku Polyclinic. As you know, we have built a state-of-the-art theatre, which is currently working to do caesareans and other operations, whose names are best known by the doctors,” he said.
“And some work is spilled over to Mabvuku Polyclinic to assist and complement the government efforts.”
He said every month, the city assisted in the birth of over 2 500 babies.
“You know, as a city, we assist in the birth of over 2 500 babies per month,” he said.
“And we need to upgrade the Mabvuku Clinic so that they also do 24-hour casualty services.
“The services, the resolutions have been made.
“The ministry has visited and this is what we are hoping to come up with.”
Mafume said the partnership with the Swiss government would help to improve healthcare services and make them more affordable for citizens.
“We are hoping that by the beginning of the year, the project can kick-start once the modalities of the MoUs [memorandums of agreement] have been signed,” he said.
“Healthcare is part of the duties that a city has to do and that we have to make it affordable and that is why we are in discussions. And this complements, in a big way, government efforts.”
Switzerland embassy in Harare head of co-operation, Stefano Berti, said the partnership would have a huge impact on how healthcare services would be delivered to citizens of the capital.
“Everything seems to be on track and I hope very soon you will be able also to sign off this new agreement with all the partners involved and follow it up in the implementation for the coming two years,” Berti said.
“Go to the level of localities, cities and engage directly with them for this very important, as you said, objective for your country and for even larger than that, the whole world.”
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