Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. STANBIC Bank Zimbabwe has donated a US$20 000 autoclave machine to Ingutsheni Hospital in Bulawayo, reinforcing its commitment to advancing healthcare standards in key medical institutions.
The Standard Bank Group subsidiary additionally constructed a dedicated housing facility for the equipment at a cost of US$15 500.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Stanbic Bank chairman Muchakanakirwa Mkanganwi emphasised the machine’s role in enhancing infection control protocols.
“Stanbic Bank is proud to be associated with the largest psychiatric hospital in Zimbabwe with over 700 beds, located in Bulawayo,” Mkanganwi stated.
The donation forms part of Stanbic’s nationwide healthcare infrastructure programme, which has previously benefited major referral centers including Parirenyatwa, Sally Mugabe, and Victoria Chitepo hospitals.
“These strategic partnerships demonstrate our conviction that robust health systems underpin national productivity,” Mkanganwi added.
The Stanbic chairman said the bank recognises that “a healthy population” is foundational to national productivity, and “we stand ready to continue collaborating with public institutions in pursuit of this goal.”
Betty Murambadoro, executive director for corporate and investment banking, framed the donation within the bank’s broader social mandate.
“Beyond the donation itself, what we are truly handing over is a message of solidarity and compassion,” she said.
“This gesture is rooted in Stanbic Bank’s belief that no one should be left behind, especially when it comes to healthcare.”
She added: “As Stanbic Bank, our corporate social investment (CSI) strategy is not just a corporate checklist — it is a living expression of our purpose: Zimbabwe is our home. We drive her growth.
“From health and education to the environment and sports, our CSI work reaches across Zimbabwe — and today, that journey brings us here, to Bulawayo, to stand with the healthcare heroes at Ingutsheni.”
Hospital authorities welcomed the intervention as transformative.
“Ingutsheni hospital has always been like a big rural hospital with very little infrastructure development that shows it is a modern hospital,” chief medical officer Nemache Mawere said.
“So, the coming in of this autoclave machine and the Central Sterile Supply Department is a welcome thing, which is moving us forward, away from being just a big rural hospital which has no infrastructure.”
The new infrastructure addresses critical gaps in the hospital’s sterilisation capabilities.
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