SHANNISE DZOBO
MASVINGO – Financial constraints have arrested the quick fix to the student nurses’ hostels at Masvingo Provincial Hospital, The Midweek Watch has learnt.
The hostels were closed down for major plumbing renovations last year after being declared uninhabitable due to frequent sewer pipe bursts.
The hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr Noel Zulu, told The Midweek Watch that renovations were progressing at a depressed rate due to inadequate funding.
“The renovations are still taking place as we are renovating the whole hospital including the hostels at the school of nursing. We couldn’t finish the renovations last year as planned as we are facing financial constraints,” said Zulu.
More than 120 student nurses especially those without relatives in Masvingo town have been affected by the closure of the hostels as they are having to pay rentals from their meagre monthly allowances paid by Government.
“We appreciate the hospital’s efforts to make the hostels habitable, but we are suffering as we are staying far from the school where we walk long distances and the rentals are going up every now and then as most prefer Rujeko which is nearby.
“Unfortunately landlords in the area are taking advantage of the situation by hiking rentals whenever demand goes up. The situation is likely to be worsened by the opening of other tertiary institutions especially Great Zimbabwe University as rentals are likely to shoot up due to high demand for accommodation.
“We therefore call upon the authorities to speed up the renovations because if we study from a centralised place it is easier for us when we do group discussions, but at the moment it is very difficult because we are scattered all over the show,” said a nursing student on condition of anonymity as she is not authorised to speak to the Press.
Most of the hospital’s sewerage, drainage and plumbing systems are as old as the institution itself hence they require serious rehabilitation.
