The Anti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa (ACT-SA) says doctors who work in government hospitals should not be allowed to operate private businesses such as private hospitals, pharmacies and others as it may be in conflict with their duties and responsibilities.
ACT-SA director, Obert Chinhamo said medical personnel employed by the government now spend most of their business hours working at their private businesses thereby negatively affecting service delivery in government hospitals. Chinhamo was quoted by <a href="https://healthtimes.co.zw/2023/02/28/zim-anti-corruption-group-wants-doctors-banned-from-running-private-surgeries-and-pharmacies/">Health Times</a> as saying:
<blockquote>
ACT-SA is disturbed by reports that medical personnel especially doctors spend most of their time at their private establishments when they are supposed to be at government hospitals.
Sick patients queue for long hours waiting for them to come. In some cases, even when they come, they refer patients to their private businesses where these poor patients are forced to pay a lot of money.
My organisation proposes that no medical personnel should be allowed to open private businesses that conflict with their duties and responsibilities as civil servants.
In addition to improved remuneration, this is the only way that medical personnel could be found at work all the time when their services are needed most.
ACT-SA has for several years been receiving reports that doctors and other medical personnel are not found at work when patients come.
These patients who can not afford paying private doctors queue for long hours without being served.
It it because of this observation that ACT-SA calls for policy and law reform to prevent conflict of interest and improve service delivery.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Anti-Corruption Group Wants Doctors Banned From Operating Private Surgeries

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said his administration will continue to invest in the health sector to provide quality and affordable healthcare to all citizens as well as to be ready for the next pandemic after the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Speaking to journalists in an interview on the sidelines of the just-ended African Union Extraordinary Heads of States and Governments on Industrialisation and Economic Transformation in Niamey, Niger, Mnangagwa said sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the country’s detractors about two decades ago have negatively impacted Zimbabwe’s health sector. He said:
<blockquote>
The health sector back home has suffered particularly as a result of sanctions, we have had two decades of sanctions and our health coverage had gone down.
Now the attack, which came to Zimbabwe and the rest of the world through COVID-19 has given us the awakening bell to say ‘please wake up, you will never know when the next pandemic is coming, prepare yourself’.
So, we are now focusing on making sure that our health sector is attended to. If you look at the budget, we have upped drastically our investment in the health sector because we feel when COVID-19 came about, Zimbabwe was isolated.
We never received any significant amounts from outside, we had to depend on our own domestic resources, we diverted funds from other projects to make sure we protected our people and at the end of the day, Zimbabwe did actually very well in the region and perhaps in the whole continent in terms of mitigating the impact of COVID-19. We’re not going to stop at that.
We’re not going to stop there; we are making sure that we are going to do anything possible to prepare for any pandemic that may come. But also, it’s good to have our people have the best health service system.
</blockquote>
Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube allocated 11 percent of the $4.5 trillion 2023 national budget to the health sector.
However, local health experts say the$473.8 billion budget allocation towards the provision of health care services is inadequate. | <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/health-sector-a-priority-president/">The Sunday News</a>

Sanctions Negatively Impacted Zimbabwe's Health Sector - Mnangagwa

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development released only one-third of the funds allocated to the Ministry of Health and Childcare in the 2022 national budget.
This was revealed by the Health Minister, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga while addressing a 2023 Parliament pre-budget seminar in Harare on Monday.
Chiwenga said the underfunding of the health sector resulted in his ministry managing to procure only 14% of the required medicines. He said:
<blockquote>
The 2022 annual budget for medicines and health facilities was $15 billion, and only $5 billion was released.
The comment from the public was that people were failing to access the most basic services, and their major concern was the need for critical equipment and services such as maternity.
The year 2022 faced cash challenges and this led to the inadequacy of critical medical supplies.
However, with the funds that we have availed, 14% of the required medicines were procured.
… The ministry takes note of the state of the infrastructure at some of the health institutions.
To address this, the ministry was allocated $18 billion, however, only 2,8 billion was disbursed.
I want to clarify this, for the health posts, we should have 1 700 ward-based health facilities if we are to give attention in terms of healthcare to every Zimbabwean.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe’s per capita (per person) spending on health is said to have dropped from US$45 in 2021 to US$20 this year.
The World Health Organisation recommends a per capita health expenditure of at least US$84 per year.
Meanwhile, Zambia’s 2022 per capita spending on health is US$85, South Africa (US$570 per person), and Malawi (US$35). | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/health/article/200002559/treasury-starved-hospitals-of-medicines-chiwenga">NewsDay</a>

Treasury Disbursed Only One-third Of Health Ministry's Budget Allocation

The Bulawayo provincial medical director Marphios Siamuchembu has pleaded with the Government to direct the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Company (ZETDC) to exempt hospitals from load shedding.
Siamuchembu said that ongoing power cuts have increased operating costs for Ingutsheni and Ekusileni hospitals as they are now relying on generators. He said:
<blockquote>
These power cuts are already piling more costs in some hospitals such as Ingutsheni and Ekusileni Hospital that now have to rely on generators, yet fuel prices have been going up.
The hospitals cannot do anything about load shedding and fuel prices but the government should just make sure hospitals are exempt from load shedding or ensure that they have adequate fuel for backup if they can’t be exempt.
</blockquote>
Bulawayo residents and businesses called on ZETDC to provide a load shedding timetable.
ZETDC western region manager Lloyd Jaji said the power utility was struggling to meet the demand for electricity. He added:
<blockquote>
As time goes on, these power cuts will be limited with a fixed timetable as we are hoping to curb these challenges once the Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 and 8 expansion project is complete.
</blockquote>
On Wednesday, the ZETDC issued a statement saying the will be more power cuts across the country due to increased demand for electricity, depressed generation output, and power import constraints.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/07/power-cuts-hit-hospitals/">NewsDay</a></h4>

"ZESA Must Exempt Hospitals From Load Shedding"

Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube said the government intends to build 30 hospitals across the country at a cost of $200 million in partnership with a private company.
Ncube made the remarks during a <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/ZNCC" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC)</a> conference recently. He said:
<blockquote>We are going to build 30 new health sectors across the country and three in urban centres. It’s a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) that will cost about US$200 million.</blockquote>
Ncube’s remarks come at a time when the country’s major hospitals have essentially shut down due to doctors’ incapacitation and a severe shortage of various sundries.
In his 2020 national budget, Ncube allocated $6,5 billion for health infrastructure, personnel welfare, medicines, among other essential hospital equipment and necessities.
<h4>More:<a href="https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2019/12/08/govt-to-construct-30-hospitals-mthuli" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Daily News</a></h4>

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