Beaven Dhliwayo, Group Features Editor
A MAJOR facelift is underway at the Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Ward and Adlum House, the student nurses’ residence at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals (PGH), in a move set to ease the burden on Zimbabwe’s strained public health sector and improve patient outcomes.
The renovations are being led by Prevail International, a development firm owned by Presidential advisor Paul Tungwarara, to revamp the country’s aging healthcare infrastructure, starting with the capital’s largest referral hospital.
Speaking during a media tour Thursday, Prevail International projects manager Vanessa Butao said significant progress had been made at Adlum House, which is scheduled to reopen in early September.
“We have done the electric work, we have done the plumbing work. Previously there were a lot of leakages in the building, the bathrooms were out of order, but we have managed to fix that. We have added four extra bathrooms on each floor so that it caters for the 353 students that can occupy the Adlum House,” Butao said.
Once a bustling residence accommodating over 350 student nurses, Adlum House had become nearly uninhabitable, forcing authorities to reduce capacity to just 40 due to broken sanitation systems and erratic water supply.
Butau confirmed that 356 rooms are being comprehensively renovated, with modern fixtures, improved lighting, and enhanced sanitation services installed on each floor.
“Initially this house holds 353 students, but because of the dilapidated system and the problems with the plumbing work and the water supply, they had cut down to 40,” she said.
“So we have also done 8 boreholes here, supplying both the Adlum House and the nursing residence and we also have a 30,000-litre reserve, so we are sure that the students will never run out of water. And for recreational purposes we have worked on the swimming pool.”
The restoration work is not merely cosmetic — the initiative is expected to yield tangible benefits for the hospital and patients.
By restoring Adlum House to full capacity, the hospital will soon have hundreds of student nurses back on-site, reducing staffing shortfalls and improving response times in critical departments, including maternity and emergency wards.
“This is a direct investment into healthcare delivery,” said a hospital administrator who declined to be named.
“When our nurses have safe, functional accommodation and reliable utilities, they perform better, and our patients ultimately receive better care.”
The renovations also include a sustainability drive. Over 200 solar panels have been installed on the roof of Adlum House to counter power outages that often disrupt essential services.
The solar system provides backup for lighting, hot water, and security, ensuring uninterrupted support for residents.
“We are totally redesigning the area. Everything is being updated to contemporary standards, including the lighting and plumbing,” Butao said.
“These are important enhancements that support our student nurses’ wellbeing, efficiency, and dignity. They are not only surface-level adjustments.”
Prevail International public relations manager Tariro Dondo added that the initiative aligns with the government’s national development strategy and is expected to be replicated at rural health facilities.
“Prevail International is a multi-conglomerate projects company that aims to conduct these initiatives at other health facilities across the country. As Prevail, we follow the President’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind,” Dondo said.
As work continues at the adjacent Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Ward — one of Zimbabwe’s busiest — hospital officials hope that the combined refurbishments will lead to improved maternal health outcomes.
The maternity ward serves thousands of women annually, many of whom face long waits and overcrowded conditions.
The upgrade of staff facilities, water systems, and energy supply is poised to translate into cleaner wards, shorter waiting times, and better care for mothers and newborns alike.
With Zimbabwe’s healthcare system under pressure from funding shortfalls and rising demand, the renovations at Parirenyatwa are seen as a promising example of public-private cooperation aimed at revitalising critical infrastructure and supporting frontline workers.
