Story by Tamuka Charakupa
THE government has commissioned eight Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) across the country in a move set to enhance national disaster response mechanisms.
This development is part of government efforts to scale up its emergency response capabilities, with focus on decentralising disaster response.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Kadoma Centre, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, who was represented by his deputy, Honourable Sleiman Timios Kwidini said the new centres will serve as command and coordination hubs for responding to health emergencies using the One Health strategy.
“The National PHEOC at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals was inaugurated in December 2021. Additionally, eight subnational PHEOCs have been established in Mashonaland West, Matabeleland South, Beitbridge, Nyanga, Chiredzi, Mutare, Harare, and Kadoma. These centres will serve as command and coordination hubs to respond to health emergencies using the One Health strategy.
“The eight PHEOCS benefiting from the SHEPRAR project have received training in Public Health Emergency Management and are equipped with the necessary resources for cholera culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing. This new approach will ensure the early detection of outbreaks, with an Incident Action Plan developed within four hours of appointing an Incident Manager. The aim is to confirm outbreaks within seven days, notify within one day, and mount an effective response within seven days (7-1-7 approach).”
Stakeholders have commended the development, citing its importance in promoting universal health coverage.
“What is unique is that the centres are where all stakeholders meet to plan and raise resources before, during and after disasters. This means we are now capacitated to respond as soon as possible as opposed to the old systems where information flow was compromised,” Mashonaland West Provincial Medical Director Dr Celestino Dhege said.
“We are also trying to take the initiative to district level so that we further enhance our communication channels as far disaster response is concerned,” Matabeleland South Provincial Medical Director Dr Andrew Felix Muza added.
The government has invested US$800 000 in the eight centres through a partnership with World Vision.
“We also note that early detection of outbreaks when they occur need not to be over emphasised and to this regard, we have capacitated seven laboratories with equipment and consumables for cholera culture and antibiotic sensitivity tests.
“The laboratory-supported sites are Gwanda Provincial Hospital, Beitbridge District Hospital, Chiredzi General Hospital, Kadoma General Hospital, Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital (BRIDH), Mutare Infectious Diseases Hospital and Guruve District Hospital,” World Vision, National Director Mr Assan Golowa said.
Key stakeholders such as the Civil Protection Department and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention attended the launch, with government commitment to revamping the health sector being commended.
