The country’s first kidney transplant unit is nearing completion with the technical team making last installations, a senior official has said.

Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief executive officer Dr Obadiah Moyo said the Laminar Air-flow — equipment that reduces the rate of infection in theatres — will be the last touch to the historic unit.

“We are moving at the correct speed because with the transplantation you have to be absolutely perfect in whatever you do. We want to create a full proof system so that we do not have any problems of patients coming back,” said Dr Moyo.

Dr Moyo said once the system starts functioning, kidney patients will no longer seek medical attention abroad. “We want to be able to stop people from going to India. “So the team will come here, we book all the patients locally and they carry out the transplant. We will also have post-operative management teams, doctors who will stay with the patients the same period that they would do in India.