RUTENDO CHIRUME
MASVINGO- Masvingo City Council (MCC) has taken the first steps towards crafting a Service Delivery Master Plan by June 30 by hosting a stakeholders meeting.
The Master Plan stakeholder meeting was held at MCC on February 28 where stakeholders spelt out expectations of the Masvingo City in the future.
The Master Plan Stakeholder meeting was a follow up to the service delivery blue print dubbed ‘Call to Action, No Compromise To Service Delivery’ launched by President Mnangagwa last year in November.
Speaking at the event, Director of Development Governance Institute (DEGI) Kudzai Chatiza who will spearhead MCC Master Plan process said that the process was meant to come up with developments that are meant for the whole province.
“It is pleasing to know that we are having this process to come up with a Masterplan meant for Masvingo social and economic growth in the coming 20 years. The last one was done in 1993 and this is our chance to be part of something big. We are here to come up with processes and ideas that will see our city becoming a metropolitan city,” he said.
During the meeting MCC gave its presentations which generated a lot of interest among the participants.
It was noted with concern that Masvingo City has no proper hotels and accommodation that allow the city to host national events despite it having several places of tourist attraction.
In the health department it was noted that there will be need to increase the maternity clinics as there are only two public health centres to cater for pregnant women.
Another issue of concern was the few ambulances available in the city as it was revealed that there are only two functional ambulances.
Speaking during the plenary session Masvingo Provincial Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Noel Zulu said there was need to prioritise the issue of ambulances.
“Our city is slowly deteriorating in terms of health delivery. Masvingo Provincial Hospital is the only public hospital we have and is meant to cater for the whole province with a total of two million people.
“It is too small and besides there is need to have more clinics like in Harare there is Avenues and St Mary’s which all serve to improve the health system of the growing population.
“However, my main concern is the loss of lives due to disaster unpreparedness in this city. A lot of people lose their lives because patients would want to be transferred to better medical centres elsewhere but because there are only two ambulances in the whole city and they are overwhelmed,” said Dr Zulu.
