Harare Central Hospital is situated in the Harare – Southerton district of Harare on 96 hectares of land.  It is the principal referral centre for patients from the Northern half of Zimbabwe and occasionally accepts patients from outside the country.  In addition, the Hospital is the main services hospital for the residents in Greater Harare and the adjoining areas.

Since 1966 it has been the main Teaching Hospital for the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zimbabwe.Harare Hospital was opened by Lord Dalhousie, the Governor General of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, (Malawi) on 2nd May 1958, on which date there was accommodation for 630 patients.  There have been numerous extensions time and the number of available beds as at 1 January 1995 is 1109.

The Hospital is modern in design and is equipped to a high standard.  The Renal Dialysis Unit is available to patients of all races. Harare is also a centre for research and there are few places possessing such a wealth of clinical material.

There are 21 full time Government Consultants in the major specialties supported by 10 Sessional Consultants.  In addition, there are Professors and Lecturers from the Faculty of Medicine    who work at Harare.  Clinical meetings, symposia and post graduate courses are organized regularly.  The Hospital is recognized by various bodies in Britain and South Africa for post-graduate training leading to specialist qualifications and by the registering bodies in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Britain for the compulsory internships. It has full accreditation status for the training of surgeons by CoSaCSA(College of Surgeons for east-Central and Southern Africa).

Harare is also a training Hospital for Nurses, Midwives, Radiographers, Pharmacy Technicians, Laboratory Technicians 1 on, Theatre nurses and Pediatric nursing. Theatre nurses  post-basic courses.  Post graduate practical training is also provided for Pharmacists.  There are Student Nurses in the School of Nursing training for the internationally recognized Diploma of General Nursing Diploma.  The Midwifery School has Student Midwives in training. There are also Post basic students for theatre nursing. In addition, army student nurses are also trained here.

Harare is the busiest Hospital in Zimbabwe, treating over 1 200 in-patients and 900 Out-patients/Casualties daily. There are at present 22 wards in the General Hospital, a large Maternity Hospital, a Psychiatric Unit as well as a Tropical Diseases Unit.  Out-Patients are seen in the Out-Patients Department, and Consultative Clinics in all Specialties are held between 8.00a.m. And 4.00p.m.  After 4.00p.m the patients are seen in Casualty if late for the clinic.  There are also Ante-Natal, Post Natal and Family Planning clinics.

Our Mission

  • Harare Central Hospital is a quaternary institution whose mission is:
  • To provide quality health care services to referred cases and emergencies.
  • To provide quality health care training programmes to health care givers and clients.
  • To conduct and support research programmes with appropriate utilization of the research findings with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of health care delivery to the Nation of Zimbabwe.

Our Staff

Harare Hospital has well over 2 000 staff and there are  full time Government Consultants in the major specialties, supported by  Seasonal Consultants. In addition,  Professors and Lecturers from the Faculty of Medicine work at the Hospital. Clinical training for medical students is given at the Hospital, which is internationally recognized as a Centre for compulsory internships and for post graduate training leading to specialist qualifications.

Our Background

Harare Hospital has 1200 beds and is situated in the Southerton District of Greater Harare.  It is the biggest referral Centre in Zimbabwe, and also takes cases from the SADC region.  In addition, the Hospital is the main service Hospital for the   1 500 000 residents in Greater Harare, plus a number of the adjoining rural areas.  Since 1966 it has been the Interim Teaching Hospital for the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zimbabwe.