Tinaani Nyabereka
Gweru -President Emmerson Mnangagwa last week commissioned a state of the art National Pathology, Research and Diagnostic Centre at the Midlands State University, the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa laid the foundation stone last year in November when he expressed the need to transform institutions of Higher and Tertiary Education into innovation hubs.
Speaking during the official opening of the facility last week Friday, President Mnangagwa said his government was moving with the development thrust to promote education 5.0 which is results based.
He added that this vision was there to improve the country’s health sector so that citizens do not look for health services abroad.
“In August 2017, l had a slight incident of poisoning and was airlifted to Gweru then eventually l was in South Africa.
“I then made a decision that similar medical facilities in South Africa should be in Zimbabwe as well. That’s when I saw the need and instructed MSU to come up with this state of the art medical facility.
“However my government will continue to create an enabling economic environment where business should thrive, that this is why l say Zimbabwe is open for business,” he said.
He further said that Zimbabwe is supposed to enhance its tourism through effective medical tourism and construction of state of the art facilities.
“Zimbabwe must become a medical tourism hub. I implore the private sector to complement government efforts by engaging in the development of state of art medical centres in tourist destinations.
“As our tourism grows we say, in areas such as Victoria falls where the elite come we need to have improved medical care because complains have been made that the area doesn’t have a proper medical centre, hence that becomes a constraint.
“My vision is for our country to provide better health services across the region as we have demonstrated here at the Midlands State University Medical Pathology and Diagnostic Centre,” he added.
Vice President who is also the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Constantino Chiwenga said the country is battling a number of challenges within the health sector.
“If we don’t build our own facilities, no one will build them for us, I am happy that the President heard our cry as a country and today here we are, looking at the state of Art Pathology, Research and Diagnostic centre.
“Let me acknowledge that, our health sector is encountering a series of challenges and these cannot be solved over a single day.
“We can state things such as skilled professional and health staff, inadequate infrastructure and medications, all these need a dedicated front as demonstrated here, as we can achieve a lot.
“Our universities can go a long way and play the role of supporting government to address some of these challenges my ministry continues to support and appreciate the universities’ thrust of training medical and professional health staff.
“The New pathology centre will help reduce the challenges of critical infrastructure in the health sector and our aim is to reduce the financial drainage of medical tourism where by our citizens seek attention outside,” he said.
The Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Professor Amon Murwira said the construction of this new centre was in line with the new 5.0 education curriculum which promotes production of goods and services.
