The recent death of Garry Mapanzure has exposed the problems in Zimbabwe’s healthcare system. There are claims that the 25-year-old musician couldn’t be transferred from Masvingo to Harare for medical treatment because a service provider, Mars, required an upfront payment of US$2,900.
Hillary Makaya, a Zimbabwean model in South Africa, claimed on social media that Mars had demanded an upfront payment for transportation. She said:
I blame @mars_zimbabwe for Garry’s death! Makati mukuda 2.9k kuti muendese Mukomana ku Harare for better treatment. You were begged to take him to Harare and told mari mopihwa masvika , But makaramba muchiti ambulance haisimuke Pasina 2.9.. Garry fought for his life for 1o hours Straight! He could have lived but you deprived him of urgent medical attention.
Garry was involved in an accident in Masvingo which killed two people on the spot. He remained in the Intensive Care Unit in Masvingo for about 10 hours. However, due to the poor condition of Masvingo Provincial Hospital, he had to be transferred to Harare. Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono highlighted this issue. Commenting on Makaya’s post, Chin’ono said:
In any normal country, the first port of call in an accident is public healthcare, then you can move to private if you have the money unless if you have health insurance. This is because emergencies are not planned, hence Government services should always be on standby when needed. If you are injured today and taken to a private hospital, they will first ask for your medical insurance or cash, that is just how it works. They are doing this because there are ZANUPF politicians who have used these services and refused to pay, or deliberately don’t pay on time. The important question should be; Why would someone die for lack of a suitable ambulance in a country where citizens are paying taxes daily? Mars is not the problem, the problem is the ZANUPF Government that has refused to fix the healthcare system. I don’t think that blaming a private medical company for Government failures is the right thing.
Several people agreed with Chin’ono adding that there was the need to respect businesses’ policies. Some argued that the policies were probably a result of losses incurred when patients did not pay after receiving services.
Recently, a Zimbabwean doctor, Mthabisi Nembaware, died at Mutare Hospital while waiting for an ambulance to be airlifted to Harare. Dr. Nembaware, who had been working at a rural hospital in Hauna, Manicaland, was involved in a road accident while travelling to Mutare. Despite being stabilised at Mutare Hospital for severe Traumatic Brain Injury, the hospital allegedly lacked a functional ICU unit and city-to-city ambulance service. Thus, he needed to be transferred to Harare for specialized care via air ambulance.
Critics of the government accuse political elites of looting funds that should have been allocated to the health sector. They argue that the politicians show little concern for the healthcare system as they can afford to seek medical treatment abroad. The collapse of the healthcare sector has been ongoing since the early 2000s.