By A Correspondent- The Health Ministry has said that Victoria Falls is sitting on a health time bomb as its health facilities are operating without oxygen tanks and negative pressure rooms for COVID-19 emergencies making the resort town unsafe for tourists.

This comes a day before President Emmerson Mnangagwa is visiting the resort town for the official launch of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination.

Deputy Health Minister Dr John Mangwiro, who was leading Mnangagwa’s advance team toured the resort town to assess its preparedness to host President Mnangagwa and said that Victoria Falls was sitting on a health time bomb.

“We don’t have an ICU for Covid-19 here and we are creating one now where we are going to have six ICU beds. But for it to be functional we need negative pressure which is also not available and I hear the whole province doesn’t have it. Funds for Covid-19 are readily available and can be accessed through the taskforce.

“The ICU is a specialised ward and negative pressure sucks out any infected air and takes it out where the virus is burnt and released after being rendered sterile. Nurses will refuse to work in an ICU if there is no negative pressure because they will get infected,” said Dr Mangwiro.

Dr Mangwiro said it was disastrous not to have a Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Victoria Falls Hospital, whose oxygen is also stored in Hwange because of the lack of an oxygen tank.

The existing ICU has no oxygen outlets and a negative pressure room which Dr Mangwiro said was dangerous in the event of an emergency.