Agnella Mudzimiri Sister-in-Charge Private and Paediatric Wards (foreground), speaks during the tour while (from left to right) Acting Principal Nursing Officer, Matron Elizabeth Mhanya, Chief Financial Officer Peddy Chigunduru and General Manager Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu look on
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
The Avenues Clinic is geared to continue providing world class health services to its patients, following a major upgrade of the Private and Paediatric Wards as part of a US$2 million investment.
Speaking during the official reopening and tour of the two wards on Thursday, The Avenues Clinic General Manager Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu, said they would leave no stone unturned to ensure that their service remains top notch in line with the needs of doctors and patients.
The newly renovated Paediatric Ward has 16 beds, while the Private Ward has 8 beds.
“We obviously we are here for the patients and the doctors who admit here at the Avenues Hospital.
“So our renovations are guided by our customers who are the doctors who admit here as well as the patients.
“So we have been receiving various updates in terms of the look that we have had and there was a strong need for us to update, modernize and restore our facilities which is what we are doing. And on top of that, there is also other cutting edge things in the health sector that are happening particularly on the clinical side.
“So we’ve also invested in some of the latest cutting edge technology,” said Ndhlovu.
The Avenues Clinic General Manager Sibusisiwe Ndhlovu speaks during the tour
She added that they had spent a significant amount of money getting more up-to-date equipment which helps their specialists to do procedures better, faster, more efficient and also to ensure good clinical outcomes for their patients.
The cutting edge machines include latest anaesthetic machines the A9 and the KUZA machine, which Ndhlovu said allows “our clinicians, when they are operating on a patient, to see the tiniest thing.
“This can be magnified a thousand times, and they are then able to go to the root of the problem and operate or surgically remove whatever they need to do.”
She added: “so we have renovated our paediatric ward as well as our private ward. “The pediatric ward has got 16 beds and our private ward has got 8 beds. In terms of the renovations, we have done most aesthetics from floors, walls, replacement of various items, fresh look, fresh linen, etc.
“The investment value, I would say, is an ongoing process, we have raised money from our shareholders about US$5 million that we received from our shareholders.
“To date, we have spent US$2 million of this amount, US$1.2 million purchasing various clinical equipment that we need for our operations and the other US$800 000 has been going through different things like for instance, this ward was refurbished partly from that,” added Ndhlovu.
She added that to date, they have refurbished about half of their wards as they aim to modernize and give the institution as a fresher look.
Ndhlovu added that all their plans go in line with government’s vision to revitalise healthcare adding that they also support initiatives in the public health sector.
“So we’ve got quite a lot that we’re doing with the public sector because we believe that as private players, we are only as good as we are.
“So we need to go together and do our bit,” she added.
Acting Principal Nursing Officer, Matron Elizabeth Mhanya, said because of all upgrades, she is proud and honoured with the very good clinical outcomes.
“At The Avenues Clinic, most of the IT equipment, the highly skilled nurses that we have, we are proud to say we have reported very good clinical outcomes.
“And most of our success stories, I think one that we are really proud about is we also run an intensive care unit where we admit pre-term babies or critically ill new-born babies.
“And in this unit, we have seen success stories where we have admitted babies as little as 645 grams, 700 grams, and they have survived, to about 1.8 grams which is our mark for them to be discharged home where we are said they are now safe to sustain, whether to sustain feed and to be able to then start growing like a normal baby.
“We have seen lots of those stories especially in this winter we have committed quite a number of those and we are happy to say all those are growing well.”
Matron Mhanya added: “we are also saying our hospital has got very good technology with it, rooms that we have are equipped with all the necessary facilities.
“Here we are saying we have an intensive care unit designated and we can take up to seven patients.
“But in case of any need, our rooms are specially made to be convertible to attend to our high care patients like ICU patients.
“We can ventilate from any point at the Avenues Clinic, even in our casualty, as soon as you come in, we have got that facility where we can ventilate you from the casualty department.”
During the tour, nurses also demonstrated how they react in the case of an emergency in clear testimony of their cutting edge technology and dedication.