By Beverly Bizeki
Residents in Runyararo West suburb of Masvingo City who have been traveling to Mazorodze Clinic or Masvingo Provincial Hospital will soon heave a sigh of relief as the maternity wing at the clinic is nearing completion.
The development was revealed in the recent full council minutes where it was noted that the wing was only one percent shy from completion.
“It was reported that construction of the maternity block at Runyararo North West was at 99 percent complete,” read part of the minutes.
If completed, the maternity clinic will become the second council owned in Masvingo after Mazorodze Clinic in Mucheke A, with the clinic expected to serve a greater part of the city as it has a catchment area of about 30,000 people from Runyararo West, Garikai, KMP, and the Victoria Ranch Suburbs.
Calls to establish maternity wings at other council clinics Runyararo and Rujeko have been raised countless times with the local authority promising to construct the crucial wings once resources permit.
Residents from Rujeko are the ones mainly affected as they have to cross the Masvingo-BeitBridge Highway to Mazorodze Clinic or go straight to Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
Masvingo City Mayor and Ward 4 Councilor Alec Tabe said although construction was almost complete, there were still a few finishing touches to be done.
“The structure is almost complete in terms of construction but there are a few things left including tubing the place and getting equipment for the ward,” said Tabe.
Construction of the ZWL $64 845 080 000 facility commenced in June 2023 and was expected to be completed in December of the same year.
Council has also completed the construction of the fifth and sixth classroom blocks at Rujeko Secondary School and is also about to complete construction of the safe market in Mucheke which is 98 percent complete.
