STANBIC Bank Zimbabwe has donated neonatal care equipment worth US$60 000 to Mater Dei Hospital in Bulawayo, reinforcing its support for Zimbabwe's healthcare sector through its corporate social investment programme.
The donation comprises four multi-parameter neonatal monitors, used to track the condition of newborn babies during their most vulnerable days, and eight incubators for the care and treatment of premature and critically ill infants.
Stanbic Bank chief executive Solomon Nyanhongo described the handover as another milestone in the bank's commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery in Zimbabwe.
“Today's handover is more than the transfer of equipment. It is a demonstration of what can be achieved when institutions come together with a shared purpose of improving lives. We are proud to strengthen Mater Dei’s legacy through Stanbic Bank's corporate social investment programme,” Nyanhongo said.
He said the bank viewed sustainable business growth as inseparable from creating meaningful social impact and would continue investing in initiatives that strengthen healthcare systems, support medical professionals and improve patient outcomes.
Nyanhongo said the donation was particularly significant because it would benefit some of the country's most vulnerable citizens.
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“Every infant given a healthier start represents hope for a family, confidence for a community, and an investment in Zimbabwe's future,” he said.
He added that Stanbic Bank remained guided by its purpose, 'Zimbabwe is our home, we drive her growth', saying this commitment extends beyond financing businesses to supporting national development through social investment.
Mater Dei Hospital director of health Adolph Macheka welcomed the donation, saying the equipment would significantly strengthen the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit.
“It is important to appreciate that the state of development of a nation is assessed by its socioeconomic conditions and its ability to care for the weakest members of its community. Nothing exemplifies this more than the struggling premature neonate,” Macheka said.
He said the donation came at a critical time as Zimbabwe continues to grapple with neonatal mortality, noting that the country's neonatal mortality indicators deteriorated by 10% between 1999 and 2019.
Despite those challenges, Macheka said Zimbabwe had made considerable progress over the past two decades in improving maternal and child health outcomes.
He said the newly donated equipment would help tackle the country's neonatal mortality rate, which currently stands at 32 deaths per 1 000 live births.
“This is where the impact of this kind of critical care equipment truly becomes evident. We need paediatricians, but even if we have the manpower, we still need the critical equipment to care for these little ones. There is no shortcut to that. This is why we greatly appreciate the tremendous impact that Stanbic Bank’s donation to Mater Dei Hospital will have,” Macheka said.