By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
HARARE — The Avenues Clinic has officially opened its newly upgraded Intensive Care Unit (ICU), High Dependency Unit (HDU), and Coronary Care Unit (CCU), marking a significant milestone in a US$4 million hospital-wide refurbishment programme aimed at elevating the standard of critical care in Zimbabwe.
The upgraded unit, commissioned on 31 August 2026, features advanced patient monitoring systems, integrated bedside medical gas and power outlets, moisture detection technology, and expanded dialysis capacity — all designed to enhance the quality, safety, and efficiency of care for critically ill patients.
The Avenues Clinic’s Sister in Charge Jacqueline Mdoka left and Managing Director Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu during a tour of the the news facility
Half a Million Invested in Critical Care
Speaking at the opening, The Avenues Clinic Financial Controller Oscar Maradzamunda said the hospital had invested US$500,000 specifically into upgrading the critical care unit, with total expenditure on the hospital’s refurbishment programme now standing at approximately US$4 million.
“So, in terms of the investment, we spent half a million into the DC critical unit and the DC investment was to upgrade our infrastructure into our equipment as well as vending,” Maradzamunda said.
“To date, we managed to spend about four million into the refurbishment of the hospital.”
He confirmed that the next phase of modernisation will focus on upgrading the hospital’s operating theatres in the coming quarter.
Maradzamunda emphasised that the investments were intended to complement Government efforts to strengthen the country’s health sector.
“We would like to also partner with the government, in other words we are complimenting the government efforts to make sure that our health sector is up to speed and we upgrade and modernise our equipment so that we save our community and we save Zimbabwe at large,” he said.
The Avenues Clinic critical care staff
Dialysis Access Expanded
A key improvement in the refurbished unit is the expansion of dialysis access points from one to 13, allowing patients requiring dialysis to receive treatment without being transferred between beds .
Managing Director Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu explained the significance of this upgrade.
“Before we used to move a patient, the one who was occupying where there is a dialysis point, we would have to move them elsewhere so that we could dialyse the patient, because we only had one point,” she said.
“The big improvement is that we now have more points, we don’t need to be moving the patient, and it means that we can cater for more patients better, faster, and in a more comfortable environment.”
Ndhlovu noted that while the current configuration does not yet have dialysis points integrated into the bed units due to a shipment delay, the hospital will reconfigure once the equipment arrives.
“Everything is just self-contained, meaning we don’t have bloods everywhere, we don’t have these cords flying all over.
“Everything is one place, better patient outcomes, more convenience to the nurses, and also good for the patient in that they don’t need to be moved around,” she said.
Technology Driving Better Outcomes
The refurbished unit has been fitted with new Mindray patient monitors and redesigned bed-head systems that centralise medical gases, electrical outlets, and monitoring equipment at each bedside.
“We are using technology to help them do their work. They are less stressed; they can just check the monitor, and then they can come and attend to the patient,” Ndhlovu said.
The hospital has also introduced moisture detection devices placed beneath patients’ mattresses to alert nurses immediately when critically ill patients require urgent attention. “Patients who are very sick normally cannot assist themselves.
“ This will help the nurse to know when something is happening with this patient so they will quickly come and attend to them,” she explained.
A Commitment to World-Class Healthcare
The Avenues Clinic’s refurbishment programme is part of a broader strategy to ensure Zimbabweans have access to world-class healthcare locally.
The hospital has previously invested in upgrading its maternity ward and other facilities under an ongoing infrastructure renewal programme.
Ndhlovu said the hospital was committed to continuously investing in technology and infrastructure. “Going forward, we’ll be introducing more of such improvements,” she said, adding that the upgrades also create a better working environment for the hospital’s dedicated nursing team.
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