Dumisani Ndlovu

SHURUGWI — Dorset Health Institution workers in Shurugwi South are facing an acute shortage of accommodation, as some of them are sharing the few available houses, it has been learnt.

Ward Health Committee (WHC) chairperson, Jabulani Sibanda said although the institution is faced with a myriad of challenges, the more pressing one was that of providing adequate accommodation for the nurses.
“Here there are several problems but chief among them is the acute shortage of staff housing. The crisis emanated from quite a number of nursing staff who joined the clinic. Our staff proportion was rapidly ballooning could not accommodate nine nurses who were at the institution with only three staff houses designed to accommodate one family each,” said Sibanda.
The Health Centre Committee (HCC), chairperson, Shadreck Sibanda said as a stop gap measure, villagers in Ward 21 of Shurugwi South, resolved to pool together their meagre resources to construct a house at the clinic.
“The rural parents have taken it upon themselves to address the problem of accommodation at the health institution with the view that this may add up to the success of their service delivery if the nurses are well taken care of,” he said.
The HCC chairperson said the health institution needs 10 more houses to meet the demand.
He hailed Shurugwi District Hospital for donating bricks to construct the fourth house.
“We are deeply touched to see our nurses faced with such horrible living conditions. Imagine being a family, made up of fathers, mothers and children, using one room and sharing a kitchen with other three families,” he said, adding that some staff members are leaving.
Shadreck Sibanda appealed to the Health and Child Care Ministry to address the accommodation problem to avoid the exodus of health personnel at Dorset Health Institution