Hospital Equipment Management

FEMALE staffers at Chitungwiza Central Hospital (CCH) continue to break the proverbial glass ceiling by proving that they can be adept captains who can steer the ships in their various given arenas as evidenced by Miss Elizabeth Nyemba who heads the normally male dominated department of Hospital Equipment and Maintenance.

Not only does Miss Nyemba lead the department with expertise but she is also deputized by another ‘woman of steel’ Miss Agnes Mutani supported of course with the brawn of fellow male staffers like Mr Francis Makona who is also a co-deputy head in the same department.

This is one department which calls for muscle, especially when one looks at the aspects of equipment maintenance, but Miss Nyemba and Miss Mutani have excelled in their line of duty to serve as a huge inspiration to other women.

Services which are offered in their department range from procurement of equipment spares and medical equipment which ensures that the hospital functions smoothly; right up to the servicing aspect. According to Miss Nyemba, this job is her passion and she feels driven to do it wholeheartedly because she has the love and drive to serve the health sector in Zimbabwe.

“I love this job and I love working with equipment. I am also driven by the call of duty to save lives,” she said.

For one to be skilled in this area, they have to have qualifications which are as follows: a Diploma in Instru-mentation and Control attained from training done at an accredited institution. Then there is also the Higher National Diploma in Instrumentation and Control which is obtained through the Harare Polytechnic College or a Degree in Electronic Engineering .

“Currently, there is no learning institution in Zimbabwe which is offering Biomedical Engineering at degree level but however conversion courses held by our employer (CCH) often benefited the department as a whole to im-prove the health system in Zimbabwe,” Miss Nyemba said. Other staffers in the same department include students on attachment.