PRISCA MANYIWA-MASUKU
MIRROR REPORTER

Kwekwe – The master plan team for Zibagwe Rural District Council (RDC) has recommended the establishment of more health centres in the district to avoid a situation where pregnant women and the sick are walking 60km to the nearest health centre.
The planners also deplored the state of roads in the district.
The district has 29 clinics and two district hospitals servicing 33 wards.
The team noted that there were some wards that did not have health centres at all while others are so expansive that they stretch 100km from one end to another.
“Ward 2 has one clinic at Sebakwe and the ward is big, stretching more than 100km with some people traveling 60km to access the clinic.
“Ward 33 relies on a private clinic at ZESA Munyati power station which should not be the case because the clinic is meant to cater for a small population,” said lead planner Johnson Mikuku.
The study recommended the establishment of three more district hospitals in addition to Zhombe and Silobela hospitals to minimise referrals to Kwekwe General Hospital.
“We recommend three sites for the establishment of hospitals in the masterplan so that we balance the shortfall,” he said.
In addition, the study recommended the improvement of road infrastructure which is also another barrier to accessing health services across the district.
“The state of roads in the district is a cause for concern, good health service provision demands well serviced roads. People are using scotchcarts to travel to the clinics and one can imagine what that does to an expecting woman in labour,” said Mikuku.