Bulawayo Mayor Solomon Mguni says renovations at Thorngrove Hospital are focused on making the health facility compatible with the requirements for managing Covid-19 cases.
The hospital which is currently being used as a Tuberculosis treatment facility was designated to handle coronavirus cases.
However, due to the complications surrounding the treatment of COVID-19 the local authority in partnership with the government were forced to make structural adjustments.
Currently, a section of the hospital which was earmarked for COVID-19 patients is being renovated with city council officials indicating last week that a further ZWL$46 million is needed to complete the works.
Speaking during an interview with CITE which was held in collaboration with Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), Mayor Mguni said the renovations are at an advanced stage.
He said the renovations have been around creating cubicles at the centre to create social distancing.
“Most of the renovations have been around creating cubicles at the wards where the hospital is essentially a tuberculosis hospital so basically, we have to do a cubicle so that there is social distancing and physical distancing,” he said.
“So I may say that the preparations and renovations are almost at a final stage and we have had two or three admissions in the past and we think that with the beds that we received yesterday the capacity has been improved so that we are able to admit patients.”
According to the latest Ministry of Health and Child Care COVID-19 update Bulawayo has a total of 15 confirmed cases, with nine recoveries, five active cases and one death.
