Mimosa Invests Over US$4m in Mberengwa Hospital Upgrade

Mberegwa — Mimosa Mining Company has invested more than US$4 million in the upgrading of Mberengwa District Hospital, delivering new hospital infrastructure, medical equipment and essential support facilities.

The major intervention aimed at improving access to healthcare in the rural district, includes a new maternity wing, an outpatient department, male and female wards, an operating theatre and supporting infrastructure, strengthening the hospital's capacity to provide essential medical services closer to local communities.

Mberengwa District Hospital new look.

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Honourable Owen Ncube, has challenged the Ministry of Health and Child Care to complement the upgraded infrastructure with adequate staffing, medicines, ambulances and technical support to ensure the hospital operates as a fully functional district facility around the clock.

Addressing officials during a tour of the upgraded facility on Monday, October 12, Hon. Ncube said the next priority was to ensure that the improved facilities translated into reliable healthcare services.

“Our task is now to match this world-class infrastructure with adequate human resources, technical support, medicines and ambulances so that it functions as a full District Hospital, 24 hours a day,” he said.

The Minister's remarks highlight the importance of ensuring that investment in hospital buildings and equipment is accompanied by the resources required to deliver consistent and accessible medical care.

The outpatient department has six consultation rooms, a 26-bed maternity wing, a laundry, kitchen, operating theatre guardroom and administration block with a boardroom.

The male and female wards each have 26 beds capacity while medical equipment has been procured and installed for the theatre, maternity unit, wards, children's ward and outpatient department.

Additional equipment has also been provided for the mortuary, laundry and kitchen, alongside furniture for the administration block.

The investment also covers perimeter palisade fencing, 40,000-litre water storage tanks, landscaping and a 1.2-kilometre tarred access road.

Other supplies provided to the institution include blankets, chairs, six DSTV decoders, four 32-inch television sets, heaters, electric kettles and waste bins.

Hon. Ncube said the company's interventions aligned with the government's development priorities, which seek to bring quality and affordable services closer to people and narrow the gap between rural and urban communities.

“On behalf of the Government of Zimbabwe and the people of Midlands Province, I say thank you for demonstrating that you are not just mining in this province, but for setting a standard for corporate citizenship in Zimbabwe,” Hon. Ncube said.

He called on other companies operating in the province to support the rehabilitation and modernisation of public health facilities through corporate social investment programmes.

“As we strive to improve provision of a resilient, accessible, quality and affordable health care in line with SDG number 3 on health and wellbeing, I urge other Corporates to render support in revamping our health delivery system through Corporate Social Investments by emulating these interventions,” he said.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 seeks to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at every age.

Minister Ncube cited several other corporate-supported healthcare projects in the Midlands, including the renovation, upgrading and equipping of Shurugwi Hospital and its mortuary by Cheng Xi Investments and the rehabilitation of the High Dependency Unit at Gweru Provincial Hospital by Unki Mine.

He also highlighted the construction of Auxillia Mnangagwa Clinic at Chirape in Gokwe North by Muduvuri Pan-African Referral Hospital and Nkathazo Hospital in Zvishavane, built by businessman John Nkathazo.

The Minister further pointed to support for the establishment of a private ward at Zvishavane Hospital and the rehabilitation of Gweru Infectious Disease Hospital among Mimosa's contributions to the province's health sector.

Minister Ncube said the projects demonstrated the potential of partnerships between government and the private sector to strengthen public services and improve the availability of healthcare infrastructure.

He also commended Mimosa for aligning its corporate social investment programmes with the government's development framework, including the National Development Strategy 2 and its service-delivery priorities.

One of the facility's rooms.