Bulawayo is positioning itself as a future medical tourism destination as the government and the city council seek greater investment in healthcare infrastructure and services, officials said during the renaming of the Cimas Bulawayo Medical Centre to the Sipho Zwana Medical Centre.
The renaming ceremony honoured the late Dr Sipho Leonard Vivian Zwana, one of Zimbabwe’s pioneering medical professionals whose career spanned more than five decades.
Speaking at the event, Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu said private healthcare providers had an important role in complementing municipal clinics and Government hospitals at a time when demand for health services continued to grow.
“While our primary focus is providing primary healthcare to mostly the less privileged, you can relieve pressure on us by providing medical access to those who are more financially capable,” Ndlovu said.
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He said the city wanted to increase access to affordable medical services while attracting investment into the health sector.
“Our vision is to see Bulawayo having more access to medical facilities that are also affordable to our population. When you invest in the health sector, you are investing in our wellbeing, and a healthy society leads to a developed society,” he said.
Ndlovu said Bulawayo’s master plan was creating opportunities for investors through projects such as the George Avenue Corridor and the Ascot Precinct, where medical suites and other supporting infrastructure are planned.
“Our wish is to develop Bulawayo into a medical tourism city. We believe that Bulawayo can become one of the cities where people travel across the world just to access medical services,” he said.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province Judith Ncube said the renaming of the facility was about more than changing the name of a building.
“It is a great honour to join Cimas Health Group, the Zwana family and the people of Bulawayo as we formally honour the late Dr Sipho Leonard Vivian Zwana by renaming the Cimas Bulawayo Medical Centre in his honour,” she said.
Ncube said Dr Zwana’s story was one of courage, achievement and service.
She said the achievement was significant given the highly specialised nature of anaesthetics and the barriers black Zimbabweans faced at the time.
Dr Zwana also became the first black doctor to serve at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo before later becoming Medical Superintendent at both Parirenyatwa Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals.
“Your circumstances do not have to determine the size of your contribution. He did not merely enter the profession. He excelled. He served. That is the lesson we must carry forward,” she said.
Ncube said Government remained responsible for setting health policies, regulating the sector and ensuring access to healthcare, while private players such as Cimas complemented those efforts through investments in infrastructure, technology, diagnostics and wellness programmes.
“Let the Sipho Zwana Medical Centre be both a monument to a pioneer, and a mandate for us to do more. That is how we truly honour 52 years of service. That is how we build the next 100 years of healing,” Ncube said.
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