Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe has officially handed over a refurbished children’s ward and critical medical equipment to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare, reinforcing its commitment to supporting the country’s healthcare sector.
The bank invested US$99, 000 in upgrading the ward through tiling, painting, carpentry, and rewiring, and an additional US$40 000 in procuring essential machines.
The equipment includes two Bubble CPAP units with trolleys, humidifiers and compressors, five infusion pumps, and five phototherapy lamps, which are crucial for the treatment of newborns and children requiring high-dependency care.
Speaking at the handover ceremony on Wednesday, Stanbic Bank Executive Director for Corporate and Investment Banking, Mrs Betty Murambadoro, said the intervention was guided by the bank’s belief that healthcare is a pillar of community well-being.
“As we say at Stanbic, Zimbabwe is our home. We drive growth, and part of us driving growth is looking to healthcare. We believe that healthcare is a pillar of any community’s well-being, hence the reason why we decided to focus on this particular ward. Our relationship with this hospital dates back to April 2021, when we started working on the maternity wing, carrying out renovations to improve the experience of expectant mothers. Last year, we continued with refurbishments, tiling, painting, and rewiring, and this year, we have taken it a step up by bringing in critical machines that are very important for newborns. We have already seen mothers celebrating their babies’ recovery thanks to these machines,” she said.
“We believe in partnering with healthcare workers to ensure that they have a good experience as they save children. It also gives dignity to the children and an opportunity to heal and thrive. This is a worthy cause for Stanbic to continue being involved in,” she added.
The Director of Clinical Services at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Dr Harunavamwe Chifamba, commended the bank’s continued support.
“We have been working with Stanbic for a while now. They started off on this ward by tiling, doing the plumbing and carpentry, which has improved the ambiance for both patients and parents.
They have also donated medical equipment, which will be very useful.
The phototherapy lamps will be used for babies born with jaundice, the infusion pumps will help us give precise drips to patients, and the Bubble CPAP will assist children with severe pneumonia. We really appreciate this donation, which will go a long way in ensuring excellent patient care,” he said.
Parents with children admitted in the ward also testified to the impact of the donation.
“My child had jaundice, so she was put on a machine donated by Stanbic. Today, she is okay and has been discharged. I really appreciate this donation.
“My child was admitted here because he had malaria. The care and treatment we have been receiving is world-class, and we would really like to thank Stanbic for capacitating the children’s ward.”
The official handover builds on a partnership between Stanbic Bank and Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, which began in 2021, when the bank invested over US$60,000 in maternity wing renovations and theatre equipment.
Earlier this year, Stanbic also partnered with CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, funding 15 corrective surgeries for children with disabilities at a cost of over US$20 000.
The bank has further donated autoclaves worth US$80 000 to four hospitals and procured sun protection equipment valued at nearly US$40 000 for people with albinism.
