SHURUGWI-BASED Chinese mining company Chengetai Chengxi Investments has availed US$30 000 towards the refurbishment of Shurugwi District Hospital mortuary and maternity ward.
Speaking on the sidelines of the donation handover Chengxi general manager Simon Karimanzira said US$20 000 would cater for the mortuary rehabilitation while US$10 000 would be used for renovation and equipping the maternity ward.
He said the donation was part of Chengxi's corporate social responsibility programmes in Shurugwi.
“After we made wide consultations with the community there was consensus that the issue of health in the district was top priority.
“They said the mortuary was in a deplorable state and that a fully equipped maternity ward was also needed. So the gesture by Chengxi came after the community said after providing better maternal health facilities, there was also a need for people to collect the bodies of their relatives from a conducive place where they will be kept,” Karimanzira said.
The mortuary, which has been defunct for years, will accommodate nine bodies to complement the current small morgue with a carrying capacity of three.
Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Owen Ncube commended Chengxi for the donation, which he said would improve health service delivery system in the mining town.
“I urge other corporates and mining companies in Shurugwi to emulate what Chengxi has done in prioritising corporate social responsibility programmes for the community,” Ncube said.
Midlands provincial medical director Mary Muchekeza said renovation of the facilities at the hospital was key as it complemented government efforts to attain the highest possible health services for all by the year 2030.
“This development will have a long-lasting impact in enhancing the healthcare delivery system at the hospital and for our people,” she said.
