By Brenna Matendere
The National AIDS Council (NAC) on Wednesday handed over lifesaving equipment worth US$2 million to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, in a move set to strengthen the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and enhance patient care.
While NAC’s traditional focus has been supporting the Ministry of Health and Child Care through the provision of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), laboratory equipment, and reagents, the Council has over the years expanded its mandate to include wider health sector support.
Over the past two years, NAC’s partnership with Parirenyatwa Hospital has delivered:
Cancer medicines worth US$500 000
Haematology reagents worth US$300 000 annually
Theatre beds valued at US$500 000
Laboratory reagents worth US$800 000
At a handover ceremony in Harare, NAC unveiled two new projects — the establishment of a Family Blood Bank in Ward C10 and the provision of renal diagnostic reagents to the hospital’s Renal Diagnostic Unit.
NAC Chief Executive Officer Dr Bernard Madzima said the new projects represent an important step in integrating HIV response with broader national health priorities.
“The National AIDS Council’s support now extends to non-communicable diseases, in line with the Ministry’s vision for integrated health services,” said Dr Madzima.
“It is my honour to hand over these projects to Parirenyatwa Hospital. We trust they will be used efficiently and effectively to ensure Zimbabweans access quality healthcare in line with Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy.”
Improving Access to Care
Patients receiving dialysis at the hospital’s renal unit welcomed the development, noting significant improvement in service delivery.
“We used to queue from as early as 1am just to access a dialysis machine,” said one patient. “Now, with the 21 new machines, even if you arrive at 8am, you can still receive treatment. It has made a big difference.”
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Slaiman Kwidini praised NAC for its continued partnership, saying the new blood bank would help end preventable deaths caused by blood shortages.
“No one should die because of lack of blood at Parirenyatwa,” said Dr Kwidini. “We are grateful to NAC for helping make that a reality.”
He added that Government plans to decentralise dialysis and blood bank services to other parts of the country to improve access to life-saving care.
Local Capacity Building
Responding to concerns over the lack of local kidney transplant services, Dr Kwidini revealed that Government is engaging specialist doctors from India to train local medical teams.
“Once our doctors are trained, kidney transplant services will soon be available locally,” he said.
“We also appreciate NAC’s contribution — since the establishment of the blood bank here, the price of blood has come down and is now more affordable to patients.”
The latest donation underscores NAC’s growing role as a key partner in Zimbabwe’s broader public health landscape — supporting the nation’s journey toward universal healthcare and improved quality of life for all citizens.
About Author
