Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital, the largest referral centre in Mashonaland West Province, is set to open a midwifery school at the health institution.
As a result, this years May and September nursing intake programme has been put on hold.
Hospital medical superintendent Collet Mawire confirmed the development saying the move was meant to address the shortage of midwives in the province.
Mawire told NewsDay: Its true that we are opening a school of midwives here at the hospital and we will give you more information on the official opening as soon as we get the nod from our superiors.
We hope the opening of the school will go a long way in making sure that we reduce the infant mortality rate in the province. We have been experiencing a shortage of midwives in the provinces and this comes as sweet music to the ears of people in Mashonaland West.
Mawire said they hoped the midwives programme could begin this month but we cannot go ahead with the plans due to circumstances beyond our control.
Health experts in the province believe the move is set to reduce the number of unemployed nurses. The school of midwives at the hospital is set to boost the labour wing and the maternity ward.
