By Sifelani Murambiwa.
Chiredzi, Zimbabwe. (News Of The South) – Chiredzi General Hospital has been hard hit by serious problems mainly at its maternity a development that has seen pregnant woman being forced to sleep on the floor due to shortage of admission beds.
In an interview with News Of The South, Masvingo Provincial Medical Director (PMD), Dr
Amadeus Shamu called upon private players and individuals to help the government towards the upgrading of the facility since the problem is growing on a daily bases.
“We are still facing challenges especially on availing resources for the improvement of many areas at Chiredzi General Hospital. Firstly there is the need to have a proper drug storage facility and the upgrade of the maternity ward. It is however our utmost calls to
private players and other able individuals to help us towards the availing of the necessary improvements at the hospital, “said Dr Shamu.
He said most hospitals in the province are also confronting acute shortages of syringes which has seen most newly born being discharged without receiving the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine which prevents infants from the seven killer diseases.
Chiredzi Residents and Rate Payers Association (CHIRRA) Chairman Jonathan Muusha said it is a very sad moment for Chiredzi for expecting mothers to sleep on the floor.
“The issue of Chiredzi General Hospitals’ maternity ward has become the talk of town, expecting mothers continue to increase but the hospital has little known extensions which go in line with the population growth. For Chiredzi, we used to be 50000 people but now
the number has doubled due to urban migration,” said Muusha.
He added that they even presented a paper to Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa to see into the dilapidated state of Chiredzi General Hospital.
“Since the minister visited last year, no steps have been taken to address these issues. Some women in the maternity ward are giving birth while sleeping on the floor. We only have 61 beds but daily they are admitting over 100 patients and this shows the magnitude of the problem,” added Muusha.
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