Gweru City Council plans to reopen Mkoba 1 Clinic maternity wing are at an advanced stage with refurbishments already underway, a senior council official has said.
Speaking at a recent full council meeting, health services director Sam Sekenhamo said the local authority was committed to ensuring that maternity health services were easily accessible to communities.
Sekenhamo was responding to queries from deputy mayor, Nyaradzo Madzikanda, who wanted to know the council’s progress in reopening the maternity wing at the clinic.
“We are refurbishing the place and we want to make sure that the maternity wing reopens as soon as possible,” Sekenhamo said.
“Right now only Mkoba Polyclinic is attending to expecting mothers in the whole of Mkoba, which is the city’s most populous suburb and this is not good.
“So as council we are seized with this matter to ensure that we have a second clinic that offers maternity services.”
Women who spoke to Southern Eye welcomed the development to reopen the clinic saying it would ease the burden on women, who travel long distances to give birth.
“Imagine you live in Mkoba 11 and you have to travel to Mkoba Polyclinic in Mkoba 13 to give birth, it is quite a burden on a pregnant woman,” Constance Mariko said.
Another expecting mother, who only identified herself as MaMoyo who lives in Mkoba 12 said she ended up booking at Mtapa Clinic to access maternity services.
“I have to board public transport to get to Mtapa Clinic, which is a bit nearer to Mkoba 12 than Mkoba Polyclinic,”she said.
Mkoba 1 Clinic maternity wing closed in 2009 due to a shortage of midwives, but over the years council has announced plans to reopen it to ease pressure on Mkoba Polyclinic.
In recent years there have been reports of women giving birth on their way to Mkoba Polyclinic.