Zimbabwe Network for Health – Europe

Mabvuku Poly Clinic Expansion

MabvukuPolyclinicExpansion

Short Description: Mabvuku Polyclinic is being expanded to serve the Eastern District of the city as per the approval of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare for the upgrading of the polyclinics to provide EMONC as well as regular maternity services. The Ministry’s thrust is to decongest the Central Hospitals and thus provide better quality of care at all levels of the health service.

Zimhealth_MabvukuPolyclinicExpansion

The polyclinic is being expanded through the construction and equipment of a maternity theatre and neonatal unit. This will enable the creation of a centre of excellence in Harare for the provision of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EMONC) at Mabvuku Polyclinic in addition to the antenatal care, deliveries and postnatal care and child care currently provided. The project is in line with the Harare City’s Strategic Plan 2010 to 2015 - “Crafting a World Class Health Service”.  Mabvuku Polyclinic is being expanded to serve the Eastern District of the city as per the approval of the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare for the upgrading of the polyclinics to provide EMONC as well as regular maternity services. The Ministry’s thrust is to decongest the Central Hospitals and thus provide better quality of care at all levels of the health service.

Harare City Council approved the work in partnership with ZimHealth to build an additional wing at Mabvuku polyclinic, that would include an outpatient wing, a theatre and neonatal unit, which will be dedicated to Dr Daniel Makuto, Secretary for Health Zimbabwe, in the 1990’s and founding member of ZimHealth, who died in September 2010.

Mabvuku Polyclinic is located 22 km from the city centre in the Eastern District of Harare (Capital city of Zimbabwe).  It is the only polyclinic in the district and has a catchment population of approximately 500,000.  The catchment area includes suburbs of Mabvuku, Tafara, Greendale, Eastlea, Msasa and Ruwa; as well as neighbouring Caledonia and Bobo Farms. Caledonia and Bobo farms are new population areas which were not part of the planned catchment of the clinic hence increasing the burden on it.

The polyclinic has 35 maternity beds, conducts about 300 antenatal consultations and 250 deliveries per month. Currently all complicated deliveries are referred to Harare Central Hospital and because of this many women by-pass the maternity services and go straight to Harare Hospital if they anticipate or have had previous complications.  A total of 25,825 deliveries were recorded for the year 2013 at all Clinics in Harare. From these 12,459 cases were transferred for further management at the Central Hospitals. Of these, 17.3% (2,161) were un-booked which makes this a major risk factor. 

The project objectives are to:

  • To create a centre of excellence for the provision of services for mothers and newborns in the high density suburb of Harare by offering an extension and renovation of existing facilities to improve access and quality of services and provide emergency obstetric and neonatal care.
  • To support Harare City Council and Ministry of Health in decongesting central health facilities in Harare.
To support this project, ZimHealth and Harare City Council mobilized resources as follows

Benefactor

Contribution

Harare City Council

US$ 400,000

ELMA Foundation

US$ 300,000

Higher Life Foundation

US$ 100,000

Mabvuku/Tafara Trust

US$   50,000

Oak Foundation

US$   30,000

Ministry of Health (equipment)

US$ 100,000

ZimHealth (fundraiser/members)

US$  70,000

TOTAL

US$1,050,000

The work started with ground clearing and breaking December 2014, and foundations were started January 2015. The project coordination team is composed of Harare City Council representative, Project Manager Mr Andrew Mlalazi, Financial Management by Mr Bverere, PKF Chartered Accountants, and our local ZimHealth members, Drs Francis Ndowa and Mike Mbizvo.

Construction of maternity theatre at Mabvuku Polyclinic, Sep 2015
Construction of maternity theatre at Mabvuku Polyclinic, Sep 2015

At the end of 2015, roofing was at an advanced stage and behind the initial schedule which projected completion of the project at end of the year.  The delays were due to the delay in receipt of funds, and additional work needed on the foundations because of the soil type. The project completion date is now mid-2016.  Harare City Council has already made plans for recruitment of the additional staff needed for the maternity theatre and neonatal unit, including arrangements with the University of Zimbabwe and Harare hospital for refresher training of their current staff, so that services will be put into place as soon as the building is completed.

Projects Map

The Zimbabwe Network for Health (ZimHealth) seeks to raise funds to procure and distribute m edicines, diagnostics, vaccines and other commodities to rehabilitate the health facilities in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe’s once robust health-care services have declined in recent years, exacerbated by the AIDS epidemic, a serious economic crisis and the considerable exodus of skilled personnel including doctors and nurses.