Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
PRESIDENT Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa this Monday commissioned two flagship University of Zimbabwe projects, an Industrial Incubation Centre and a Specialist Medical Centre designed to support innovation, commercialisation and specialised healthcare services.
The President first commissioned the Industrial Incubation Centre in Msasa, which was established to support young innovators whose projects have progressed through the university’s innovation hub and are ready for commercialisation.
During the visit, President Mnangagwa interacted with students and entrepreneurs behind the innovations.
He later commissioned the Specialist Medical Centre in Avondale, which will provide eye care, assisted reproduction through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), trauma services and other specialist healthcare services. The President toured the multi-disciplinary facility, including its eye care unit.
Addressing delegates at the commissioning ceremonies, President Mnangagwa said innovation would continue to receive Government support and commended the student-led start-up companies operating from the Industrial Incubation Centre.
“It is impressive that the Start-up companies hosted in the Industrial Incubation Centre are student-led, resulting from their final year projects, research and scholarly work. Under my Administration, promising innovations will continue to be granted ‘Innovation Hub Status’ and supported by Government. I am confident that this approach will provide impetus for our young talented students to develop their ideas into products, goods and services,” he said.
President Mnangagwa has always emphasised the key role of youths in development, and this Monday he reiterated the need to support ideas from young people.
“Judging from the crop of confident and innovative Executives of Start-up companies, our country is indeed on the right path of irreversible industrialisation and modernisation. I challenge the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, universities, along with stakeholders in industry, including financial institutions, to scale up support for Start-Up companies emanating from the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Model. Through the “Whole of Government and Society Approach”, let us continue to give our young talented boys and girls a chance to develop their ideas and exploit their full potential for the benefit of our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe,” he said.
Focusing on the specialist medical centre, President Dr Mnangagwa said the establishment of this facility will provide services like IN VITRO FERTILISATION that were once only available in the private sector. He said this is in line with the Second Republic’s development principle that leaves no one and no place behind.
“Provide oral and eye health, assisted reproduction using in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), and trauma services, among other features. Health services such as assisted reproduction have been only available in the private sector. This made the services out of reach and unaffordable for many of our people requiring the treatment in this area. Hence, the establishment of the Facility, with its specialists and high-end health care, dovetails with my Administration’s core development principle that leaves no one, and no place behind. I also congratulate the University of Zimbabwe for this project, which will not only enhance training, but also add to the critical numbers of the much-needed eye specialist-doctors and dentists, as well as other health specialisations,” he said.
President Dr Mnangagwa used the platform to call on both private and public health facilities to ensure they have modern equipment as the country pushes to improve health service delivery.
“All investments in the health sector should translate to improved health delivery and associated foreign currency retention, where our people travel less to other countries for health care,” he said.
President also directed the Ministry of Health Care and Child Care to eradicate barriers to entry in the establishment of specialist health care facilities.
“Hatidi ma gate-keepers, nema cartels mu health sector, vanhu vedu vachitadza kurapwa zvakanaka, nemutengo uripasi. Kwete. Ngative nehanya, tikoshese hutano we vanhu vekwedu. My Government will not accept the prevalence of the opportunists and so-called health sector “cartels and syndicates”, who operate to the detriment of our people. Let those with ears hear this stern exhortation,” he said.
The two signature projects by the UZ speak into the country’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Model, which emphasises an edict that goes beyond the classroom and provides answers to the needs of society.
