Manicaland Healthcare Facilities are a series of prototype buildings of mothers wards, labour rooms, offices, and staff quarters for five maternity clinics in Zimbabwe. The project is part of the Zimbabwe Idai Recovery Project (ZIRP), which was formed by amongst others UNOPS, the World Bank, Unicef and the World Health Organization.
The declining health infrastructure of Chimanimani has had a tremendous negative impact on the community it intends to serve. It has meant that healthcare facilities are unable to adequately provide clean, safe and comfortable medical care, exposing communities to threats of epidemic, disease, and social injustice.The smallest, least formalised council level healthcare institutions are bearing some of the largest burdens, serving remote rural communities from both Zimbabwe and Mozambique that are unable to access better care. Staff are overburdened and struggling to respond appropriately. These inadequacies further exacerbate a changing climate and prevalent natural disasters, adding additional stress on the infrastructure of access and transportation. The new maternity clinics are designed to be cyclone resistant.
Most women prefer to give birth at home even though the risk of complication is higher than going to a health clinic. This clearly indicates that maternal facilities are not set up with the comfort and care of mothers in mind.It is our intention through this project to provide spaces which are attractive for expectant mothers, where they feel respected and cared for. In addition, these facilities should consider the existing work load of clinicians and health care workers and design for facilities and programs which are intended to improve work flows and reduce strain.
