THE Chitungwiza Municipality is set to renovate Seke South Clinic in Unit L to a 45-bed COVID-19 isolation centre from a US$3 093 727 million response budget, a council official has revealed. BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
Acting town clerk Tonderai Kasu told NewsDay that the isolation centre would have a five-bed intensive care unit (ICU) and the nearby Seke South Community Hall (Unit L) was going to be transformed into a 100-bed temporary medical facility to house patients in case of overwhelming numbers.
“We are planning to construct a fully functional COVID-19 isolation unit at Seke South Clinic to be equipped with 45 beds that will include a five-bed ICU. We will renovate the spacious Seke South Community Hall close to the clinic into a temporary medical facility to house patients in case we become overwhelmed with large numbers. The hall will have the capacity to house more than 100 beds for coronavirus patients,” he said.
“As soon as possible, we will renovate the disused council’s Tatenda Tavern in Unit H to be the fifth municipal clinic. Chitungwiza is in need of more health facilities to cater for the large and growing population which now stands at half a million.”
Kasu said Health minister Obadiah Moyo expressed his commitment to support the projects and council has since made an appeal for support from the corporate world, donors and development partners.
“A team from the World Health Organisation toured all the sites and gave technical advice. We hope that steady progress will be made towards completion so that the virus will find us prepared,” he said.
Kasu said at the moment Seke South Clinic could only accommodate COVID-19 mild cases. Chitungwiza currently has four council clinics, namely St Mary’s, Zengeza, Seke South and Seke North. According to the Health ministry, Zimbabwe has 31 confirmed cases and four deaths.
