The Ministry of Health and Child Care has expressed concern over the closure of Harare’s privately-owned St Anne’s Hospital.
The ministry is however optimistic that the owners of the building ‘Little Company of Mary,’ will keep their word and resume operations soon.
The closure comes after the owners of the land and the building where the hospital was operating from, instituted legal proceedings on the 11th of March 2014 against the hospital for defaulting rental payments.
According to a letter in the possession of the State Media, the company that owned the land and building belongs to a Catholic institution known as Little Company of Mary.
St Anne’s Hospital was being run by Caps Holdings, which had entered into a 10 year lease agreement with the Little Company of Mary.
However, the hospital was closed after a High Court ruling on the 23rd of December 2015, which gave the owners of the land and building the right to evict Caps Holdings for defaulting on payment of rentals.
The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Mr Aldrin Musiiwa said the ministry tried to intervene but to no avail since the matter was before the High Court.
He however said the owners of the building have indicated that they want to open a hospital soon.
St Anne’s Hospital had made a name for itself for providing quality health care.