The Sunday News
THE arrival of Indian investors who are set to re-open Ekusileni Medical Centre in Bulawayo is testimony to that President Mnangagwa is walking the talk to make sure that projects initiated by the late Vice-President Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo come to life.
When President Mnangagwa visited the province recently, he said the hospital, which is the brain child of the late Father Zimbabwe, which has been idle for 17 years will open before the end of the year.
“When this new dispensation came into being we decided to attend to this institution (Ekusileni Medical Centre) and I discussed with Minister David Parirenyatwa that everything has to be done to make it operational. I was speaking to him and
I said what’s going on today and he said we are not yet there then I said to him we can go ahead but I am happy to say that on the 15th of July the investors will be on the ground,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said it was the vision of the late Vice-President Dr Nkomo to have the facility opened to the public hence it’s taking time to open was a betrayal of that vision.
“As long as I am President, this shall work; no one must stand in our way, any assistance that you want you must tell me and we will make it work. I am happy that Shadar Group of Hospitals is very prominent in India and worldwide with specialists and state of the art equipment too,” said President Mnangagwa.
True to his word, the Indian investors were in the city last week. There is also movement on the ground to make sure that the tomato processing plant starts operating in Esigodini, with the one in Norton already working. The issue of value addition and beneficiation was also another project masterminded by the late Father Zimbabwe.
The opening of the hospital will not only improve health service delivery in the city and region at large, but will also go a long way in making sure that the name and legacy of Father Zimbabwe remains alive, something that can be credited to President Mnangagwa and the ruling party.
Following the tour of the health facility, Sharda Group of Institutions (SGI) chairman Mr Pradeep Kumar Gupta said Zimbabwe was a stable nation, something which is a magnet for investment. He said President Mnangagwa’s diplomatic offensive and call for investment was good for the country.
“This is a very peaceful country. I’ve toured all over Africa. I’ve been to Nigeria, Tanzania, but people here are very nice, law abiding and the Government right now is increasing efforts to invite foreign investment. And if this continues I think this country will get back to its former glory, what it used to be in the 70s and 80s. It has huge resources. It has disciplined law abiding citizens.”
He expressed satisfaction with the infrastructure at Ekusileni Medical Centre. Mr Gupta said they would start shipping equipment for the hospital so that they can start treating patients as soon as possible.
