Nyamandlovu gets district hospital

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NYAMANDLOVU Rural Hospital has been granted district hospital status, as it prepares to expand its operations in Umguza, an official said

NYAMANDLOVU Rural Hospital has been granted district hospital status, as it prepares to expand its operations in Umguza, an official said.

Report by Luyanduhlobo Makwati

The hospital that presently has 36 beds, is set to expand within the next year to increase its carrying capacity to 120 beds.

The hospital will see the construction of more wards, and a theatre and radiology department.

Matabeleland North provincial medical director Dr Nyasha Masuka said they applied to the Health ministry and they had been given the go ahead to expand the rural hospital into a district institution that will be fully furnished with all the required departments.

“We have completed all the processes in terms of applications and the Health and Child Welfare ministry granted us permission to expand the hospital,” he said.

“It is our target that we replace all obsolete equipment in the district hospital and we renovate our wards and put up more structures in Nyamandlovu Hospital.”

Masuka said they had engaged the Public Works ministry to assist them on how the hospital will be expanded.

“As it is, we are working with the Ministry of Public Works and they are advising us how we can expand the hospital,” he explained.

“Our plan is to start with a theatre and a radiology department since you know that most of these hospitals are built in phases.”

Masuka said the expansion of the hospital was supposed to begin this year and the government had allocated $700 000 for the project.

However, the Nyamandlovu Hospital project was put on hold, as the Health ministry decided to concentrate on renovating and expanding the Victoria Falls Hospital that is meant to cater for delegates during the United Nations World Tourism Organisation General Assembly that will be held in the resort town this August.

Masuka added that staff accommodation was a problem in Nyamandlovu and they were looking forward to build more houses for their employees in the near future.

Umguza is the only district in Matabeleland North that was still without a district hospital.