Category: Press Statements

HEALTH and Child Care parliamentary portfolio chairperson Ruth Labode has called on government to urgently appoint board members at the National Aids Council (Nac) which has been operating without one for over a year. The previous board was dissolved last March following concerns that it was improperly appointed and has not been replaced up to date. During a National Assembly sitting recently, Labode — who is also the MDC Matabeleland North proportional representation MP — said something was not adding up about this issue and the Health minister should address…

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BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI THERE have been widespread concerns over the country’s capacity to deal with the virulent coronavirus (COVID-19), which is rapidly spreading across the world after it was first detected in the Wuhan province of China, where it has already wiped out nearly 3 000 people and affected another 78 000-plus in China and other parts of the world. Other countries, including the United States, have already rolled out mechanisms in anticipation of the spread of the disease so that it can be contained before causing extensive damage. Stakeholders…

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GOVERNMENT has been urged to devise a sustainable plan that ensures health workers have adequate tools of the trade to avoid recurrent strikes by doctors and nurses. BY VANESSA GONYE In a statement, Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director Itai Rusike said government should not relax after the intervention of organisations like Higher Life Foundation (HLF) and other development partners, who bailed it from the human resource crisis that had befallen the health sector towards the end of last year. “That doctors are back at work after the…

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IN a country where medical aid coverage is less than 10 percent, ordinary Zimbabweans who can’t afford medical aid cover and health insurance have found solace in crowd funding initiatives for critical surgeries and treatment for complicated ailments. By Michael Gwarisa According to the Association of Healthcare Funders Zimbabwe (AHFoZ), medical aid coverage has dropped from a high of 10 percent in 2018 to the current  9 percent, making it untenable for majority of Zimbabweans whose life savings and hard earned cash has turned into manure since August 2018 at…

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BY PHYLLIS MBANJE LAST Sunday, Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Aids Day, which is always marked with much pomp and fanfare as well as passionate declarations and pledges for enhanced access to treatment. This year was no different and a government convoy made its way to Mucheke Stadium in Masvingo, where presenters made glowing remarks about how the country has done well in combating the spread of HIV and Aids. It was, however, noted that the HIV prevalence rate currently stands at 12,7% and is…

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THE Zimbabwe national budget should cease prioritising military expenditure and channel funds towards the ailing health sector in order to reduce internal conflict from disgruntled healthcare workers. By Michael Gwarisa Giving an analysis of the 2020 Health Budget, Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) Executive Director, Mr Itai Rusike said the 2020 budget has remained static and largely uninspiring and the humongous allocation of fund to the military was worrisome. While the Ministries of Basic Education and Health got the second and third highest votes after agriculture, their allocations at…

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THE Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) does not encourage traditional midwives to deliver babies nor offer maternal health related services to pregnant women, a top government official has warned. By Michael Gwarisa The development comes in the wake of what has been described as “heroic works” of one Mbare traditional midwife, Mrs Esther Gwena who has since delivered more than 100 babies at her home. However, the babies are being delivered in the absence of critical health sundries such as, disinfectants, safe delivery kits, running water and proper…

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ORDINARY citizens whose pockets are not deep enough to afford private medical care continue to bear the brunt of the ongoing stand-off between medical doctors — who have been on industrial action for over two months now — and government. People with various ailments are gambling with death as many have since stopped going to seek medical attention at public hospitals, where they are routinely turned away due to the unavailability of doctors. Hope in the public health system recuperating and going back on its feet has been lost and…

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GOVERNMENT yesterday fired 211 doctors at public hospitals for going o strike to demand better pay, with another 500 at risk. Doctors have been on strike since September 3 demanding salaries that are indexed to the United States dollar to escape triple digit inflation that has ravaged wages. The Health Services Board fired the doctors after holding disciplinary hearings which the striking doctors did not attend and said it planned to hold another round of hearings for at least 516 out of the 1 601 doctors employed in the public…

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