UNDP, Global Fund hands over Warehouse to NatPharm under US$30 ml facility

By Staff Reporter

UNITED Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Global Fund have handed over a State of the Art Warehouse in Masvingo to NatPharm.

The project is being jointly implemented with the Government of Zimbabwe as well as part of the larger Resilient Strengthening for Health (RSSH) initiative which is working to improve healthcare delivery across the country.

Speaking during a United Nations Communication Group (UNCG) Media Tour at the Natpharm Masvingo warehouse this week NatPharm’s , Linda Chamboko said the warehouse caters to the 250 facilities in Masvingo province.

“We are one of the companies that benefited from the partnership between NatPharm UNDP and the Ministry of Health and Global Fund and we are happy to say that we have one of the state-of-the-art warehouses for Masvingo province.

“So here in Masvingo province, this NatPharm warehouse caters to the 250 facilities that we have in the province. We also cater to the seven districts that are in Masvingo province,” she said.

She said the facility will be used to distribute medicines on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

The warehouse construction kicked off in 2017 before completion in 2020 ushering in a new era of relief in Masvingo.

“Now we can cater for the whole province by storing the commodities that are needed just in time for deliveries. We have solar panels. The whole roof is full of solar panels that can power our warehouse.

“We have a 201-kilowatt power station that can power the whole warehouse so we can maintain our commodities in the required temperatures that are required by good warehouse practices. This solar system has helped us to store commodities the way they should be,” she said.

The UNDP Resident Representative in Zimbabwe, Dr. Ayodele Odusola, said the project is part of the agency’s efforts to compliment government’s works.

“There are also ongoing efforts to renovate the Harare old warehouse and enhance  Chinhoyi, Gweru, and Bulawayo warehouses with Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems and solar installations.

“The completion of this new warehouse has increased the available storage space by four and a half times the size of the previous warehouse. The modern warehouse handling equipment and solar system have improved the efficiency of the warehouse,” Dr. Odusola said.