By Mvelo Mthiyane Zondo

KEZI Rural District Hospital in Matobo District has completed its refurbishment during the first quarter, as planned, a senior Government official has confirmed.

Work on the refurbishment started last year.

Matobo Member of Parliament, Edgar Moyo, who is also the Minister of Energy and Power Development, said the hospital would soon be fully functional following the completion of the renovations.
“Kezi Hospital is being refurbished and getting a new look. It’s almost complete and shall manage to meet its target deadline,” said Minister Moyo.

The hospital, one of the 11 health centres in Matabeleland South Province was built in the 1940s but the entire structure was heavily destroyed by termites and posed a danger of collapsing.

It then became unsafe for both patients and health personnel.

Patients had to travel 10km to Mphisa Hospital or more than 80km to Bulawayo for medical treatment, depending on one’s condition.

The imminent completion is expected to bring relief to communities around the institution as it is set to restore easier access to health services.

The project is being implemented under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), a five-year rolling plan, comprising projects and programmes from Government ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and is instrumental in operationalizing the country’s medium, and long-term development strategies.

Acting Matabeleland South provincial medical officer, Dr Andrew Muza, said the reconstruction of the hospital was one of the many infrastructure projects that were being implemented by the Government to improve heath infrastructure in the province.

“The main reason behind the infrastructural projects is to improve the quality of care that is offered to our patients. The completion of the structure will help us offer more services as there will be more appropriate space for adding new departments that have not been operational,” he said.