The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu, Senior Reporter
The Ministry of Health and Child Care is yet to sign a Memorandum of Agreement with Sharda Group of Institutions (SDI) to bring in equipment that will be used at Ekusileni Medical Centre in Woodlands, Bulawayo.
Sharda Group of Institutions (SGI), an Indian investor was identified by the Government to open Ekusileni Medical Centre.
While the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Dr Agnes Mahomva said the hospital will be opened in the shortest period of time, Shadar Group of Hospitals says they were yet to bring in the equipment and finalise hiring of staff.
“We had a meeting with engineers and the team that is working on the hospital, we do not have timelines as such on when we will open but we are working on a few other hospitals too such as Mahusekwa to get them running in the shortest possible of time,” said Dr Mahomva.
She said as a ministry, they were seized with the goings on at the hospital and were working flat out to have it opened as soon as they get all logistics done and in place. She, however, said they had made some agreements with the Indian institutions.
“We have signed some Memorandums of Agreements with some Indian and Chinese firms and we have our hospital equipment focal person who is looking at what is here now so that we are able to place a proper plan for finalising the opening of the organisation,” she added.
However, SGI chief executive officer Dr Raj Dutta said they were yet to sign MoU’s with their Zimbabwean counterparts especially on the issue of bringing machines to the centre.
“This depends on the Ministry of Health Zimbabwe (Health and Child Care) to sign the MoU with Sharda Hospital on the basis of accepted terms of reference which are pending on the ministry,” he said.
The Government had given the institution the green light to start bringing in equipment as on 1 January 2019. Dr Dutta said once the issues are solved, they would start off with key departments when they eventually open.
“All multi-specialty and superspeciality departments like Cardiology, Nephrology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Gastroenterology, Oncology (minus the radiation therapy) will open first,” he said.
The institution will be a specialist hospital that will offer services that are not available in the four hospitals that are already in Bulawayo. It was set up also to ensure that people in the country can access services that they would ordinarily get in South Africa or India as they have not been available locally.
Dr Dutta said as part of their preparations to come to Zimbabwe they want to arrange a one-stop window where their doctors, specialists and other staff will get registration, visa and other legal documents.
This is to ensure smooth entrance into the country as they prepare to start work at Ekusileni Hospital. Shardar Group advertised various posts locally that will be filled by qualified personnel and they are still to finalise their list of successful candidates.
“We have collected Curriculum Vitae for those who applied and we have done the first round of telephone interviews, will do further interviews when we are in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Dutta.
The Indian institution said they would bring in specialists from India and take the remaining staff that they need locally. They also said they would make arrangements for local doctors to be trained in the various critical fields that local specialists do not have.
According to an advert they placed in the local Press, they were hiring general practitioners, critical care doctors, surgeons, paediatrics, specialist doctors as well as nurses and technicians for all departments.
The hospital was also hiring a medical director and superintendent, support service manager, marketing managers, hospital administrator, front office manager, electronic data processing manager, human resources manager and executive, receptionist, assistant manager and marketing executives.
They also advertised for a purchase officer and assistant, cashier, physiotherapist, medical records officer, pharmacist and accountant. Minister of State for Bulawayo Provincial Affairs Cde Judith Ncube said she was waiting to be briefed by the Minister of Heath and Child Care Dr Obadiah Moyo on the issue of re-opening of the hospital.
