By Flata Kavinga
Kwekwe General Hospital is seeking to partner Kwekwe Polytechnic to support the rehabilitation and upgrading of its outpatient department (OPD), hospital authorities have said.
Hospital administrator Abigail Mukazhi said the institution plans to refurbish the OPD and has approached the polytechnic for technical guidance before engaging contractors.
“We want to revamp our OPD through painting, ceiling repairs, improving the lighting system, plumbing work and upgrading the toilets,” Mukazhi said during a briefing ahead of the handover of a donation sourced by Kwekwe Polytechnic students.
She said the hospital wants the college to develop a detailed scope of work to guide the rehabilitation process and ensure transparency when sourcing quotations.
“Before we invite contractors, we are requesting the college to assist with a detailed scope of work so that we seek quotations from a point of knowledge and avoid variations in pricing,” she said.
Mukazhi added that the hospital also intends to install floor tiles in the OPD and is seeking technical advice, noting limited in-house expertise.
She said the hospital would also benefit from the polytechnic’s assistance in repairing broken beds and screen doors, citing the absence of a welder at the institution.
Kwekwe Polytechnic Acting Principal Chamusingarevi Gora said the college is open to formalising the collaboration through a memorandum of understanding (MOU).
“We appreciate working with the hospital. This is not the first time we have collaborated and we are encouraged by the continuity of this partnership,” Gora said.
He said the proposed MOU would outline responsibilities, including resource sharing and provision of technical expertise.
“You will find that as Kwekwe Polytechnic we have a range of skills across different fields, including the capacity to carry out the scope of work required for the OPD project,” he said.
Gora added that the institution would follow up on the hospital’s request and conduct the necessary due diligence.
The proposed partnership comes as public health institutions continue to seek cost-effective ways to upgrade infrastructure and improve service delivery.
