Finance,
Economic
Development
and
Investment
Promotion
Minister,
Professor
Mthuli
Ncube,
says
the
government
will
continue
investing
in
cancer
treatment
services
and
healthcare
infrastructure,
describing
spending
on
health
as
an
investment
that
contributes
to
economic
growth
and
improves
the
quality
of
life
of
Zimbabweans.
Speaking
during
a
tour
of
Mpilo
Central
Hospital
in
Bulawayo
on
Saturday,
Ncube
revealed
plans
to
further
expand
cancer
treatment
services
at
the
referral
hospital,
including
the
acquisition
of
specialised
equipment
for
prostate
and
cervical
cancer
treatment
at
a
later
stage.
Led
by
the
hospital’s
Principal
Nursing
Officer,
Phineas
Sithole,
the
minister
toured
the
Presidential
Hospital
Upgrade
Programme
at
Mpilo
before
proceeding
to
the
hospital’s
radiotherapy
department,
where
he
inspected
newly
installed
cancer
treatment
equipment
purchased
using
proceeds
from
the
sugar
content
tax
on
beverages.
The
government
has
so
far
spent
around
US$30
million
acquiring
and
installing
cancer
treatment
equipment
at
Mpilo
and
Parirenyatwa
hospitals.
keep
going
because
the
sugar
content
tax
in
beverages
is
being
paid
all
the
time.
So
we’ll
keep
going
to
acquire
additional
machines,”
Prof
Ncube
said.
Mpilo
is
installing
a
low-energy
radiotherapy
machine
used
to
treat
cancers
that
develop
close
to
the
skin,
while
preparations
are
underway
to
install
a
higher-energy
machine
that
has
already
arrived
in
the
country.
Hospital
officials
expect
the
installation
process
to
be
completed
by
the
end
of
this
month.
Prof
Ncube
expressed
satisfaction
with
progress
made
under
the
Presidential
Hospital
Upgrade
Programme,
saying
renovations
were
transforming
the
institution.
“I
am
very
pleased
to
be
here
this
morning
at
Mpilo
Hospital
in
Bulawayo.
I’ve
come
here
to
check
on
progress,”
he
said.
“The
first
thing
I
wanted
to
check
was
really
progress
on
the
Presidential
Hospital
Upgrade
Programme.
I’ve
just
finished
the
tour
and
I’m
very
pleased
with
the
progress
so
far.”
He
said
renovations
on
one
of
the
hospital
blocks
were
expected
to
be
completed
within
the
next
two
months.
“What
is
right
behind
me
here
is
a
special
block
where
the
programme
has
started.
The
renovations
have
completely
repurposed
the
rooms
and
the
facility.
From
the
progress
I
have
seen
and
the
reports
I
have
received,
it
looks
like
this
block
should
be
completed
in
the
next
two
months,
no
later
than
August,”
said
the
minister.
The
project
forms
part
of
a
nationwide
initiative
aimed
at
modernising
public
health
institutions.
“It
is
going
very
well
indeed
and
I
am
pleased
that
it
will
change
the
face
of
the
hospital,”
he
said.
After
touring
the
hospital’s
radiotherapy
unit,
Prof
Ncube
said
the
government
was
committed
to
upgrading
radiotherapy
facilities
at
both
Mpilo
and
Parirenyatwa.
“The
public
is
very
serious
about
upgrading
the
quality
of
health
services
to
the
greater
population
of
Zimbabwe.
What
we
have
here
in
Mpilo
and
also
at
Parirenyatwa
is
an
upgrade
of
the
radiotherapy
section.
We
have
bought
cancer
machines.”
He
said
the
investment
would
significantly
improve
access
to
cancer
treatment
for
patients
from
Bulawayo
and
surrounding
provinces.
“This
means
we
will
really
improve
the
quality
of
radiotherapy
services
for
dealing
with
cancer
for
Bulawayo,
Matabeleland
North,
Matabeleland
South,
the
Midlands
and
indeed
anybody
because
Mpilo
is
a
referral
hospital,”
Prof
Ncube
said.
The
minister
also
commended
efforts
to
provide
reliable
electricity
supplies
at
the
hospital,
including
solar
installations
and
backup
generators.
“We’ve
seen
the
solar
installation
here
which
is
able
to
power
various
units
within
the
hospital,
including
laboratories
and
the
maternity
ward.
There
are
also
generators
to
make
sure
there
is
reliable
power
supply.
You
don’t
want
machines
going
down
in
a
hospital.
They
should
be
constantly
powered
in
order
to
provide
services,”
he
said.
Prof
Ncube
said
the
radiotherapy
department
itself
would
also
undergo
infrastructure
upgrades
under
the
Presidential
Hospital
Upgrade
Programme.
“The
machines
are
already
in
place
and
the
building
itself
will
also
be
upgraded.
We’ll
have
what
is
effectively
a
new
hospital
in
another
18
months
to
two
years,”
he
said,
adding
the
improvements
would
benefit
not
only
Bulawayo
residents
but
patients
from
across
southern
Zimbabwe.
“People
of
Bulawayo
and
the
people
of
Matabeleland
South
and
Matabeleland
North
will
feel
that
they
have
been
well
catered
for
by
the
‘Second
Republic.’”
Prof
Ncube
also
claimed
the
government
had
secured
maintenance
agreements
with
suppliers
and
included
skills-transfer
provisions
for
local
personnel.
“We
have
service
contracts
with
the
professional
teams
that
are
installing
these
machines.
These
contracts
will
ensure
that
the
equipment
is
maintained
and
functioning
whenever
it
is
needed,
which
is
critically
important,”
he
said.
“As
Zimbabweans
are
trained
on
how
to
use
these
machines
properly,
that
is
all
included
as
part
of
the
technology
transfer
arrangement.”
Ncube
also
revealed
plans
to
broaden
Mpilo’s
cancer
treatment
capacity
through
the
acquisition
of
specialised
equipment
for
prostate
and
cervical
cancer
treatment.
“I
was
asking
earlier
whether
a
request
has
been
put
in
for
machines
for
dealing
with
prostate
and
cervical
cancer.
I’ve
actually
triggered
them
to
ask
for
this,”
he
said.
He
said
Mpilo
hospital
authorities
would
first
need
to
construct
suitable
facilities
before
the
equipment
could
be
procured.
“First
of
all,
they
have
to
construct
an
area
for
those
and
then
we’ll
purchase
the
machines.
We’ll
put
in
the
order
as
soon
as
possible,”
Prof
Ncube
claimed.
The
minister
said
the
government’s
long-term
goal
was
to
make
sure
Mpilo
and
Parirenyatwa
offer
comprehensive
cancer
treatment
services
covering
a
wide
range
of
cancers.
“It
would
be
wonderful
to
have
the
entire
array
of
equipment,
machinery
and
technology
to
deal
with
all
manner
of
cancers
that
we
see,
so
that
we
can
offer
comprehensive
radiotherapy
services
at
Mpilo
and
also
at
Parirenyatwa,”
he
said.
As
new
equipment
is
installed
at
the
country’s
major
referral
hospitals,
older
machines
will
be
redeployed
to
other
institutions
to
expand
cancer
treatment
capacity
nationwide.
“The
equipment
that
was
here
will
be
moved
to
other
hospitals
so
we
keep
spreading
the
capacity
for
dealing
with
cancer
right
across
the
country,”
said
Ncube.
The
minister
was
accompanied
by
the
ministry’s
Chief
Director
of
Expenditure
Management
Percy
Takavarasha
and
hospital
officials
overseeing
the
ongoing
upgrade
projects.