D/Minister Fumes As Grass, Trees Grow In Hospital Building
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister, Dr John Mangwiro fumed after observing that grass and trees had grown in a building that was supposed to house Mpilo Central Hospital mortuary.
The construction of the building started in 1996 but it is yet to be completed. Apart from the mortuary, some of the incomplete structures at the institution include a chapel and residential flats.
Speaking after touring the incomplete structures last week, Mangwiro said he was not impressed by the state of affairs. He said:
_These tree roots growing inside the building may have damaged the building by now, don’t you think so? This mortuary needs to be completed, I need to know when work can start even just to remove these trees and weeds._
Mpilo Central Hospital acting chief executive officer Professor Solwayo Ngwenya urged the government to resuscitate the project to address accommodation shortages at the institution.
A senior official at Mpilo Central Hospital who spoke to Sunday News said the structure had grown vegetation because the contractor had abandoned it.
The official said it was against the institution’s policy to invade a site without the contractor’s knowledge.
Last week, a fire broke out at Mpilo Central Hospital and damaged a block of flats that housed doctors in the process also destroyed property worth US$500 000.
There are a number of projects and programmes that were initiated decades ago across the country that are still incomplete mainly due to contractors’ incompetence, abuse of funds or lack of resources.
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More: Pindula News; Sunday News
