Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital | |
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Geography | |
Location | Harare, Zimbabwe |
Coordinates | 17°49′11″S 31°01′47″E / 17.8197°S 31.0298°E |
Organisation | |
Care system | City Council |
Affiliated university | Ministry of Health and Child Care (Zimbabwe) |
History | |
Opened | renamed in 1956 |
Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital is Zimbabwe's main hospital for treating and testing infectious diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites.[1] The hospital is the main isolation and treatment centre as well as the main vaccination centre for coronavirus in Zimbabwe.[2][3][4]
Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital was renamed from The European Infectious Diseases Hospital on Saturday 21 April 1956 as a tribute to Dr A.J Walker Wilkins, who was an outstanding Medica1 Officer of Health in Southern Africa at that time.[5]
In 2020 the hospital was said to be incapacitated to handle coronavirus patients fully after death of media personality Zororo Makamba, the son of James Makamba and he was the first coronavirus patient to be officially recorded in the country. The family revealed that the main centre did not have ventilators, power sockets, had limited oxygen and had no medicines. There was speculation opposition members who claimed the ruling party wanted to renovate the place for the use of the political elite and other VIP patients.[6] However the hospital received donations worth US$500 000 from the Chinese business community based in Zimbabwe and Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe for upgrading its facilities.[7][8][9]
References
[edit]- ^ "CDC Country Director and Deputy for Programs Visit to Wilkins Hospital Ebola Ward". 16 December 2014.
- ^ "Wilkins Hospital, Zimbabwe's main COVID-19 isolation and treatment centre - Xinhua | English.news.cn". Archived from the original on 25 June 2021.
- ^ "Protest at Wilkins Hospital as Covid-19 vaccine shortages deepen". 2 June 2021.
- ^ "Zimbabwe Vice President Arrives at Wilkins Hospital for First Covid-19 Vaccine".
- ^ "The Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital". The Central African Journal of Medicine. pp. 210–211.
- ^ "Zimbabwe judge rejects bid to stop COVID-19 hospital for the 'political elite'". 8 April 2020.
- ^ "US$100k towards Wilkins Hospital refurbishment". 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Wilkins Hospital reopens".
- ^ "In Pics: Wilkins hospital renovated". 31 March 2020.