Beitbridge West legislator, Ruth Maboyi, has called for the construction of a bigger hospital in the border town to cater for thousands passing through the port of entry who might require hospitalisation or other critical health services.
Beitbridge is the biggest inland port in Southern Africa used by travellers from South Africa passing through Zimbabwe to countries such as Zambia, Malawi, DRC and many others.
Speaking in Parliament Thursday, Maboyi said the establishment of a much bigger hospital in Beitbridge town was long overdue.
“On this Covid-19 issue which is under the Ministry of Health and Child Care and as a representative of Beitbridge West Constituency, my plea to the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) is that he needs to help us and make sure that we have a big hospital because we are a border town,” said Maboyi.
She was contributing to the debate on President Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) which was delivered to Parliamentarians and the nation at large last Thursday.
“We had a lot of people [during Covid-19] coming into the country through our town and we did not have so many hospitals. To make matters worse, a big hospital to take care of those people that tested positive and needed health care.”
She said the size of the Beitbridge Border Post warranted the setting up of a big hospital to service travellers who pass through it.
“As a border town, we need to have a big hospital since we are a border post that is greater than any other in this country,” she argued.
“We need to have a general hospital to help people not only looking at Covid. There might be accidents or other outbreaks that might require major health care. Therefore, it is necessary that we have a big hospital in this border town.”
