Story by Fairstars Mukungurutse
A modern private hospital set to transform access to quality health services has been officially opened in Rusape.
The new facility, spearheaded by three Zimbabwean directors and managed by Dr Walter Mutindori, is already recording notable achievements in patient care.
Dr Mutindori revealed that the centre is serving between 35 and 55 outpatients daily, while performing major operations that include orthopaedic procedures.
“So, to just mention, 60% of our clients are actually cash patients, which shows that we do have a competitive price and also prices that are low cost. We do accept all medical aids, no shortfalls. We see roughly 35 to 55 patients per day in terms of outpatients.
“We have done major operations, which include three internal opening reductions and internal fixation. That’s our outpatient operations. We have actually done one neurosurgical operation, and we do deliver about 10 to 11 on average per month, doing caesarean section operations for babies about four per month, and to date, we have zero neonatal and maternal deaths. So we are proud that we are doing well in terms of making sure there is accessibility and also the service is quality and also greater and good outcomes,” he said.
The official opening was presided over by Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, who commended the private investment for complementing government efforts to strengthen Zimbabwe’s health system.
“This is a private health institution that was built by three directors, Zimbabwean citizens, and this complements our health delivery system, but most importantly, they are coming in with a very important role of covering the gaps that are in our public institutions. They are coming in with a full complement of staff and the doctors, and they are also being covered by various specialists, which means they’ve brought specialist services to Rusape, which we didn’t have at our general hospital.
“We only have a gynaecologist as a specialist, other specialties are not yet covered, but the coming in of Tait Medical Centre demonstrates the partnership that we’ve always called for between public and private to work together and complement each other in service delivery.
“The gap that they are going to cover is immense, I was just talking to the directors and they’ve told me that their bed occupancy rate is at 90 which is very good but they are also charging much less than even some of our public hospitals which is why we have said we really want to re-look at the fees that are being charged throughout the country to make sure that we are supporting the patients we also have the health coverage as we draft our national health insurance bill,” he explained.
For Rusape residents, Tait Medical Centre has brought relief, convenience, and hope.
“We are very happy with the official opening of this hospital, and its proximity to us means we won’t be travelling long distances to seek specialist services.
“One thing I loving about this hospital is that it charges low fees although its a private hospital plus it accepts all medical aids which is a plus for us,” they said.
The opening of Tait Medical Centre is a significant development for Rusape, enhancing access to specialised and affordable healthcare while showcasing the critical role of homegrown private sector investments in strengthening the country’s health delivery system.
