Sally Mugabe Paediatric Hospital receives medical equipment

Sally Mugabe Hospital acting chief executive Mr Hopewell Mungani speaks with the Australian Ambassador Ms Bronte Moules at the medical equipment handover ceremony in Harare yesterday.

Tina Musonza- Herald Correspondent

Sally Mugabe Paediatric Hospital received medical equipment worth US$62 000 from the Australian Embassy through its Direct Aid Programme to improve access to healthcare by mothers and children yesterday.

The donation consisted of medical equipment such as infant ventilators, multipara meter monitors, diagnostic sets and infusion pumps.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at the hospital, Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Bronte Moules said the medical equipment was meant to complement healthcare staff at the Paediatric Hospital in improving healthcare services.

“We are very delighted to deliver this equipment and see how it is having an impact and to learn more about that,” she said. “We want to thank you the people for doing extraordinary work in incredibly challenging circumstances that include challenges in equipment, facilities and staff training and I want to recognise that and pay tribute to you all as healthcare professionals in different capacities.”

Ambassador Moules said the donation had come through the Harare Children’s Hospital Trust and commended chairperson Dr Gregory Powell, a Zimbabwean paediatrician of Australian background, for identifying practical, immediate solutions to all the challenges being faced at the hospital. She said the embassy would continue to support the Paediatric Hospital through the provision of more equipment.

Sally Mugabe Hospital acting chief executive officer Dr Hopewell Mungani said the hospital appreciated the assistance from Australia adding that the Paediatric hospital still needed more support in terms of equipment.

“We are very happy that you have seen fit to chip in and support the hospital,” he said. “In total we have 1 200 bed capacity among four hospitals including paediatric, maternity, adult and psychiatric.

“The paediatric hospital is the new one and it’s a huge undertaking when you have to administer this kind of institution and you would need a lot of support from other organisations.”

In his remarks, Dr Gregory Powell said refurbishment of the hospital was crucial to re-establishing Sally Mugabe as the best paediatric hospital in the country.

“This hospital has retained the potential to be a centre of paediatric excellence in the region. It is the aim of Harare Children’s Hospital Trust to restore the hospital to its original state and with the long term goal of assisting it to grow into a centre of paediatric excellence,” he said.

Source: The Herald Zimbabwe