THE construction of Lupane General Hospital in Matabeleland North province, which began more than 25 years ago, has been bogged down by prolonged periods of non-payment of contractors.
Health and Child Care deputy minister Sleiman Kwidini said this in Parliament, while responding to written questions from legislators who requested a progress report on the construction of Lupane Hospital.
Kwidini said 22,7% of the project works had been completed to date.
He said some buildings, which were 70% complete, required specialised work such as tiling, installation of fire systems, oxygen piping, heating, kitchen ventilation equipment, laundry and other related tasks to move forward.
“We have experienced prolonged periods without payment, significantly affecting progress,” Kwidini said.
“We request that payments be clearly specified with corresponding certificate numbers.
“We request payment in United States dollars as most of our suppliers sell materials and goods in this currency. Additionally, our employees are no longer willing to accept ZiG payments.”
The hospital has been on the cards since 1999 when Lupane was made the provincial capital of Matabeleland North.
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Since then, its construction has been moving at a snail's pace, with critics in the region insisting that this showed lack of political will on the part of central government.
People in greater Matabeleland North rely on Bulawayo’s Mpilo Central and United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) for referral medical services.
The proposed 250-bed Lupane Hospital was set to take the pressure away from Mpilo and UBH as well as mission hospitals in the province.
Government had promised that the hospital would be complete ahead of the 2023 elections after receiving a huge chunk of the ZWL$33 billion health budget from Treasury.
