By Sharon Chimenya
THE Mashava Great Zimbabwe University Hospital, which is set to operate as a business unit and expected to contribute to the attainment of universal health in country has been completed.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Chancellor of all State Universities, commissioned an innovation hub at the graduation ceremony in line with Education 5.0, GZU this year focused on completing the hospital.
GZU Vice Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo said the university hospital, which is about 45 km from Masvingo City, will augment the main hospital following its transformation into a teaching hospital.
“Your Excellency and Chancellor, allow me at this time to give brief highlights of the University’s performance this year. The University has completed construction of the premier Great Zimbabwe University Hospital, which will run as a strategic business unit for the University. We will request the honour of your presence to officially open this Hospital before year end. The University Hospital will contribute significantly to the nation’s attainment of Universal Health by 2030, in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocol,” he said.
“Your Excellency and Chancellor, with respect to medical specialists to population distribution in Masvingo province, the doctor to patient ratio is currently 1:20 000 contrary to the WHO recommended 1:1 000 ratio. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) means that all people have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, with limited out-of-pocket expenditure.
“The range of Universal Health Coverage includes, Health promotion and prevention services, Laboratory, X-ray and imaging diagnostics and treatment services, General Practitioner medical or health care, Specialist medical or health services, Rehabilitation services and Palliative care, all of which will be available at the University hospital.”
Professor Zvobgo commended the efforts being done to transform the Masvingo General Hospital into a teaching hospital but said the transformation process is moving at a slow pace.
In October last year, President Mnangagwa called for an urgent rehabilitation of the Masvingo General Hospital into a provincial teaching hospital. He said the upgrade should complement the Simon Mazorodze Medical School.
“We are eternally grateful to Your Excellency, for including the upgrading of Masvingo General Hospital to a Teaching Hospital on the Presidential 100-day cycle. The University Hospital that we have constructed will augment the main hospital after its transformation to a Teaching Hospital,” he said.
“The pace of the transformation is, however, subdued given the urgency with which we need to prepare for the clinical training of the University’s maiden cohort of medical students which is now imminent. In addition to supporting the training of Medical Science students and the upcoming Bachelor of Nursing Science students, the transformation of Masvingo General Hospital will strengthen clinical emergency services in Masvingo Province.”
Masvingo Provincial Hospital is the referral hospital serving 1,7 million people in the province.
Meanwhile, in his welcome remarks the University Council Chairperson Professor Mandivamba Rukuni said the university has exhibited maturity in the utilisation of resources with the unprecedented infrastructural developments of the university giving true testimony to this proclamation.
“Universities are particularly complex institutions, those which are responsive to national development and the needs of their multiple stakeholders over changing times make policy decisions with a long-term horizon. These are the ones which remain relevant, survive and thrive on the ever-changing terrain of higher education,” he said.
“The University is implementing the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan that aims at addressing the long-term development of the University as it responds to the needs of nation and region towards the attainment of vision 2030; in particular, a prosperous upper-middle income economy through innovation and industrialisation, by 2030.”
New Ziana
