Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube has hailed the newly completed Cowdray Park Health Centre which she said will go a long way in easing health services care in the sprouting suburb of Bulawayo.
When it finally goes operational, the health centre will come in handy for residents who have been made to travel to the already congested Mpilo central hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
The new 20-bed Cowdray Park Health Centre is furnished with state-the-art equipment as part of government’s efforts to improve access to health.
The clinic is part of the 30 health facilities being constructed by the government through a US$200 million loan facility from the United Kingdom.
Speaking during the tour of the health facility, Ncube said the new development was a positive one for the local residents.
“We want to express gratitude for this clinic which has been constructed here. Residents will no longer be stressing about travelling long distances to access health care. Looking at this institution residents in Cowdray Park have approached me and said they are so proud of what the government has done.
“Residents were getting health care at a clinic near Cowdray Park Terminus and it is very small. People would spend a lot of time in the queue before being attended and some would resort to crowd at Mpilo or UBH hospital,” said Ncube.
She however appealed to the corporate world to further support the initiative.
“We need enough equipment in the hospital so that the services are adequately delivered. Those who have the capacity should come forward and pledge so that our own people can be assisted. We already have qualified health personnel, let’s come together and unite for a good cause.
“If we have some observations let’s bring those observations forward. We want to appreciate the government for its engagements programmes which are bearing some fruits,” she said.
The number of people in Cowdray Park suburb has grown exponentially, surpassing towns such as Gwanda at a time when the population of Bulawayo is almost stagnant, increasing by a mere 12 000 in the past decade, according to the 2022 Population Census preliminary results.
