Tendai Muererwa
MUTARE — Sakubva District Hospital has strengthened its capacity to provide maternal healthcare following the handover of a refurbished labour ward and medical equipment worth US$25 380 donated by Old Mutual Zimbabwe.
The dual handover, held on October 24, saw the newly refurbished ward getting the equipment under the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Results Based Financing (RBF) programme, which supports improvements in healthcare delivery under the National Health Strategy 2026–2030.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, officiated at the ceremony, highlighting the complementary role of Government investment and private sector support in improving public health facilities. The refurbished labour ward features improved privacy, enhanced infection control measures and a better layout to facilitate patient monitoring, providing more conducive conditions for expectant mothers, newborns and healthcare workers.
Old Mutual Zimbabwe donated 20 hospital beds, five patient blood pressure monitors, two stretcher beds, 100 bedspreads, 20 pillows and two three seater waiting benches. The equipment is expected to improve patient comfort and support healthcare workers in monitoring mothers and identifying potential complications during childbirth.
Mugadza commended Old Mutual Zimbabwe for supporting the hospital and urged other private sector players to contribute towards strengthening public healthcare infrastructure. The development comes as rehabilitation work at the hospital’s drug centre is underway, with the project reportedly 30 percent complete. The investment forms part of broader efforts to improve access to essential healthcare services, particularly maternal and child health, as the country pursues its national development goals.
The ceremony was attended by the chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community and SME Development, Gertrude Mutandi; the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s provincial medical director, Munyaradzi Mukuzunga, Mutare mayor Simon Chabuka, local councillors and representatives of Old Mutual Zimbabwe, among other officials.
