The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga, Senior Reporter
HOSPITAL group, Corporate 24, is partnering with Indian hospital group Satguru Partap Singh (SPS) to offer free medical services to the underprivileged with complex brain and heart conditions.
The move is part of the hospital group’s Corporate social responsibility programmes in Bulawayo. Corporate 24 founder and chief executive officer Dr Mike Joka said the hospital will be working with Mpilo Central Hospital and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) to help identify ideal cases which will be drawn not only from Bulawayo but all Matabeleland regions.
Dr Joka said the SPS has already sent a delegate Mr Atul Behll who heads their foreign projects to inspect Corporate 24 Bulawayo’s facilities.
“This social investment programme now awaits approval from the parent ministry and will go a long way in saving lives particularly for the less privileged who cannot afford the costs which get as high as $30 000 in certain instances,” said Dr Joka.
He said Corporate 24 was also on the lookout for schools and tertiary institutions to partner in terms of free emergency coverage for sporting events the same way it does with the University of Zimbabwe and Twin Rivers School in Harare.
“This partnership will ensure immediate medical assistance to tournament participants with complicated cases being taken to the Bulawayo Medical Centre. We firmly believe in social inclusiveness in the communities we operate in, not just limited to philanthropic work but even in our recruitment policy. We have given priority for jobs to locals who are fluent in the iSiNdebele language to ensure opportunity utilisation and good customer care to our clientele,” Dr Joka said.
In addition, Dr Joka said plans were in place to partner orphanages and non governmental organisations with similar complementary initiatives to ensure social inclusivity in the Bulawayo community.
Recently the hospital group threw itself into full advocacy mode through involvement in an online fitness campaign to encourage ordinary Zimbabweans to embrace healthy lifestyles.
The campaign called the Corporate 24 Summer Fitness Quest involved efforts directed towards helping transform mindsets and empowering everyone, in spite of their fitness level to reach their optimum healthy lifestyles through an array of motivational, exercise and nutrition experts.
“Prominent sports personalities, motivational speakers as well as reputable gyms came to the fore to support this noble cause.
Similarly the year 2017 is going to see a replica of the same programme in Bulawayo to help prevention of chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes mellitus which are now more prevalent,” he said.
Corporate 24 opened its Bulawayo facility in November last year at an estimated cost of $3 million and it offers a wide range of services including 24 hour emergency and walk in services, pharmacy, admissions, maternity, theatres, radiology and critical care units.
The hospital group did not, however, disclose how much they will be channelling towards the CSR programmes this year as they said they are still in the planning stages.
