Binga District Hospital has reportedly been operating without an incinerator, X-ray machine and ultra-sound scan machines for many years now, risking the lives of over 100 000 people, especially pregnant woman dependent on it for medication.
District medical officer Jabulani Dube told Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe of the problem on Friday during her tour of the health institution in which she donated food items and blankets to the maternity wing.
Dube said the equipment has not being functional for a long time and there were delays in repairing it. He said health personnel at the hospital were forced to spend much of their working hours fetching firewood to boil water for laundry as facilities had long collapsed.
“The machine has long broken down. Most of our staff spend much of working hours looking for firewood to boil water for laundry,” said Dube.
He said at times they resorted to asking students at Binga Secondary School to help with laundry.
“Treasury delays releasing funds hence failure to budget properly. Also local suppliers no longer supply patients’ provisions due to non-payment,” said Dube.
Khupe said the non-functioning of critical machines was an unfortunate development as that put the health of patients particularly pregnant women at risk.
“As government we will make sure that hospitals are fully equipped. Diamond revenue should be channelled towards that,” she said.
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Binga South MP who is also Public Works minister Gabuza Joel Gabbuza said his ministry had limited funds to repair all government infrastructure.
He said the hospital requested and was allocated $60 000 by the Ministry of Finance.
