Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo has received a major food donation from Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, a move hospital officials say will significantly strengthen patient nutrition and ease operational pressures at the country’s second-largest referral institution.
The donation, handed over on Tuesday, comprises 600 ten-kilogramme bags of mealie-meal and 1157 one-kilogramme packets of salt. Mpilo serves thousands of patients from Bulawayo, Matabeleland and other parts of the country, where consistent access to basic food supplies remains critical to patient care.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Boestoanelo Noko, who represented the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Bulawayo, Judith Ncube, described the donation as more than material support.
“This is not just a donation of food items, but a donation of dignity, compassion and hope to our patients, staff and the many families who depend on this institution for healing and life-saving services,” she said.
Ms Noko said the support would strengthen patient care, improve nutrition services and ease some of the hospital’s day-to-day operational challenges.
Mpilo’s Acting Director of Operations, Phineas Sithole, outlined the practical impact of the donation, saying it would guarantee uninterrupted meal provision for patients while freeing up funds for other urgent needs.
He said the 600 bags of mealie-meal amounted to six tonnes, enough to sustain the hospital’s staple food supply for more than six weeks.
“As a hospital, we cook sadza 13 times a week, using about 75 kilogrammes per cooking session,” Mr Sithole said. “This means we will be able to cook continuously, without interruption, for one month and two weeks.”
He added that the salt donation would last far longer.
“We use about three kilogrammes of salt per day. With this supply, we will have enough salt for about 71 weeks, which is close to two years,” he said. “The money we would have spent on these items can now be redirected to other critical commodities.”
Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya said adequate nutrition was a key component of patient recovery and overall wellbeing.
“This donation will support the hospital’s catering and nutrition departments and ensure patients continue to receive consistent, quality meals,” he said. “Healthcare is not only about medical treatment, but also about humane care, where basic needs are met.”
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