Bulawayo’s three referral hospitals, Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Ingutsheni Hospital, are struggling under the weight of minor ailments that should be treated at lower-level facilities, Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director (PMD), Dr Maphios Siamuchembu, has said. Dr Siamuchembu stresses that expanding healthcare infrastructure is essential to achieving universal access to health in Bulawayo. In an interview with CITE, the PMD said the current system forces central hospitals to operate like large district hospitals, limiting their capacity to handle complex medical cases.
“Basically, the central hospitals are working like big district hospitals. At night, everybody flocks to Mpilo and UBH because all the clinics are closed,” he said. The solution, according to Dr Siamuchembu lies in establishing more district-level and provincial health facilities.
“We think that our central hospitals – Mpilo, UBH and Ingutsheni are swamped by sicknesses and illnesses that should be managed at lower level health facilities,” he said. “So to decongest the central hospitals, I would like to have three district level hospitals and one provincial level hospital. Yes, one provincial hospital, three district hospitals.” “Then I think we need a provincial hospital, where the district hospitals can be referring to, before patients are referred to the Apex hospitals, which are the central hospitals,” said the PMD.
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He also stressed having additional hospitals would allow Mpilo, UBH, and Ingutsheni to focus on specialised care and complex cases. “That would leave the central hospitals to provide just the specialised care or cater for complex management of conditions,” he said. Dr Siamuchembu said he has engaged the Ministry of Health and Child Care, which is still assessing the proposal and trying to secure funding, adding that as a medical professional he hopes the plan comes to fruition and welcomes support from well-wishers.
“Yes I have engaged with our parent ministry and they are looking at it. They are still trying to find money for that. Yes, it’s something that they’re still assessing.
This is something that I hope comes true. So if we can push well wishers, good,” he said.
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