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Success story behind Chitungwiza Central Hospital

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PUBLIC Private Partnerships are paying dividends for Chitungwiza Central Hospital (CCH) enabling the institution to upgrade its facilities to world class standards.
The hospital was elevated from Mashonaland East Provincial Hospital to a central hospital in 2005.
It’s operations are supposed to be financed from National Budget Grants; however, these grants have been so little that they could not pay for provisions and services such as drugs, fuel, food, and infrastructure maintenance.
Since then, the hospital has demonstrated excellent service delivery with treating facilities and equipment similar with those of private institutions.
In an interview with The Patriot, CCH chief executive officer, Dr Obadiah Moyo said joint ventures with private entities have enabled rehabilitation of most hospital sections that were dilapidated.
“While the hospital previously benefited from the Target Approach and appropriately utilised the funds, these were quickly exhausted and the hospital resorted to operating in partnership with the private sector.” he said.
“Major areas that were improved by joint ventures included theatres and ophthalmology, renal, laboratory and Radiology, training, pharmacy and dental, mortuary, public coffee shop and confectionery.
“Through PPPs service delivery has been enhanced and maintenance of ISO status by the hospital which was the first public hospital in Southern Africa to achieve ISO certification.”
Sectors sympathetic with the Western regime change agenda have in recent months lambasted the success at the hospital citing that the institution had been privatised resulting in high charges for services.
Dr Moyo, however, said the hospital has not been privatised, but was working with private players to ensure that the public accessed quality service.
The institution, he said, was still operating under Government public hospitals service delivery guidelines.
“There are three categories of patients admitted, that is cash paying at the point of delivery, public assistance fund patients, and social welfare letters prior to admission,” said Dr Moyo.
“It should, however, be emphasised that all patients, have equal access to the hospital irrespective of the category they fall into.”
Since being ISO certified CCH has managed to attract more consultants to cover specialities like radiology, ophthalmology, surgery and urology, paediatrics and anaesthetics, obstetrics and gynaecology.
An ophthalmologist and ophthalmology nurses have been trained and have set up a unit that compares with any other private sector units with a full range of eye testing and eye surgery equipment in place.
The theatre department is equipped with latest six anaesthetic machines, two diathermy plates, LED lights, four theatre beds and laparoscopy equipment.
In 2012, the hospital’s laboratory attained first position in Laboratory Quality Management Systems and a four-star rating in a World Health Organisation regional survey.
The rehabilitation department has set a record of attending to 80 percent of patients within 15 minutes of arrival in the department.
The hospital was chosen to pilot the e-government project being spearheaded by the Office of the President and Cabinet.
This will see the whole hospital being fully computerised thus creating a Digitalised Hospital.
Chitungwiza Central Hospital is the major Government health care service provider in the town of Chitungwiza with a population of around two million, and acts as a referral centre for other outlying areas.
The hospital works closely with stakeholders in the community that include, church organisations, pastors, musicians, and business people to raise more funds to boost its service provision.

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