Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, says the government will continue investing in cancer treatment services and healthcare infrastructure, describing spending on health as an investment that contributes to economic growth and improves the quality of life of Zimbabweans.
Speaking during a tour of Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo on Saturday, Ncube revealed plans to further expand cancer treatment services at the referral hospital, including the acquisition of specialised equipment for prostate and cervical cancer treatment at a later stage.
Led by the hospital’s Principal Nursing Officer, Phineas Sithole, the minister toured the Presidential Hospital Upgrade Programme at Mpilo before proceeding to the hospital’s radiotherapy department, where he inspected newly installed cancer treatment equipment purchased using proceeds from the sugar content tax on beverages.
The government has so far spent around US$30 million acquiring and installing cancer treatment equipment at Mpilo and Parirenyatwa hospitals.
On this topic
“We’ll keep going because the sugar content tax in beverages is being paid all the time. So we’ll keep going to acquire additional machines,” Prof Ncube said.
Mpilo is installing a low-energy radiotherapy machine used to treat cancers that develop close to the skin, while preparations are underway to install a higher-energy machine that has already arrived in the country.
Hospital officials expect the installation process to be completed by the end of this month.
Prof Ncube expressed satisfaction with progress made under the Presidential Hospital Upgrade Programme, saying renovations were transforming the institution.
“I am very pleased to be here this morning at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo. I’ve come here to check on progress,” he said.
“The first thing I wanted to check was really progress on the Presidential Hospital Upgrade Programme. I’ve just finished the tour and I’m very pleased with the progress so far.”
He said renovations on one of the hospital blocks were expected to be completed within the next two months.
“What is right behind me here is a special block where the programme has started. The renovations have completely repurposed the rooms and the facility. From the progress I have seen and the reports I have received, it looks like this block should be completed in the next two months, no later than August,” said the minister.
The project forms part of a nationwide initiative aimed at modernising public health institutions.
“It is going very well indeed and I am pleased that it will change the face of the hospital,” he said.
After touring the hospital’s radiotherapy unit, Prof Ncube said the government was committed to upgrading radiotherapy facilities at both Mpilo and Parirenyatwa.
“The public is very serious about upgrading the quality of health services to the greater population of Zimbabwe. What we have here in Mpilo and also at Parirenyatwa is an upgrade of the radiotherapy section. We have bought cancer machines.”
He said the investment would significantly improve access to cancer treatment for patients from Bulawayo and surrounding provinces.
“This means we will really improve the quality of radiotherapy services for dealing with cancer for Bulawayo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, the Midlands and indeed anybody because Mpilo is a referral hospital,” Prof Ncube said.
The minister also commended efforts to provide reliable electricity supplies at the hospital, including solar installations and backup generators.
“We’ve seen the solar installation here which is able to power various units within the hospital, including laboratories and the maternity ward. There are also generators to make sure there is reliable power supply. You don’t want machines going down in a hospital. They should be constantly powered in order to provide services,” he said.
Prof Ncube said the radiotherapy department itself would also undergo infrastructure upgrades under the Presidential Hospital Upgrade Programme.
“The machines are already in place and the building itself will also be upgraded. We’ll have what is effectively a new hospital in another 18 months to two years,” he said, adding the improvements would benefit not only Bulawayo residents but patients from across southern Zimbabwe.
“People of Bulawayo and the people of Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North will feel that they have been well catered for by the ‘Second Republic.’”
Prof Ncube also claimed the government had secured maintenance agreements with suppliers and included skills-transfer provisions for local personnel.
“We have service contracts with the professional teams that are installing these machines. These contracts will ensure that the equipment is maintained and functioning whenever it is needed, which is critically important,” he said.
“As Zimbabweans are trained on how to use these machines properly, that is all included as part of the technology transfer arrangement.”
Ncube also revealed plans to broaden Mpilo’s cancer treatment capacity through the acquisition of specialised equipment for prostate and cervical cancer treatment.
“I was asking earlier whether a request has been put in for machines for dealing with prostate and cervical cancer. I’ve actually triggered them to ask for this,” he said.
He said Mpilo hospital authorities would first need to construct suitable facilities before the equipment could be procured.
“First of all, they have to construct an area for those and then we’ll purchase the machines. We’ll put in the order as soon as possible,” Prof Ncube claimed.
The minister said the government’s long-term goal was to make sure Mpilo and Parirenyatwa offer comprehensive cancer treatment services covering a wide range of cancers.
“It would be wonderful to have the entire array of equipment, machinery and technology to deal with all manner of cancers that we see, so that we can offer comprehensive radiotherapy services at Mpilo and also at Parirenyatwa,” he said.
As new equipment is installed at the country’s major referral hospitals, older machines will be redeployed to other institutions to expand cancer treatment capacity nationwide.
“The equipment that was here will be moved to other hospitals so we keep spreading the capacity for dealing with cancer right across the country,” said Ncube.
The minister was accompanied by the ministry’s Chief Director of Expenditure Management Percy Takavarasha and hospital officials overseeing the ongoing upgrade projects.
Leave a Reply