News / Health
Zim major hospitals struggling to feed patients
10 Nov 2014 at 07:37hrs | Views
PATIENTS in the country's major hospitals are reportedly been starved amid reports that the cash-strapped government is failing to avail sufficient funding.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr Paul Chimedza, debating in parliament recently urged government to adopt a new finance model for public health centres.
Chimedza said relying on fiscal funding for health care institutions was not sustainable hence the outcry over poor health care service rendered to Zimbabweans across the country.
"The system of getting money from the fiscus isn't working. We need a new financing model for the health sector, a model that is sustainable. The ministry budget is on the decrease with services now dependent on donor funding and user fees," he said.
"Feeding patients is now difficult because the hospitals are struggling to collect revenue because of the difficult economy."
Coming at a time when medical doctors had downed tools citing low remuneration and poor working conditions, Dr Chimedza said government hospitals were no longer able to provide free health services as expected because of budgetary constraints.
He called for increased budgetary allocation for the sector and reported that treasury only allocated eight percent of the 2014 budget to health, falling short of the Abuja declaration target of 15 percent. It also emerged that the country gave $25,92 per capita allocation for health compared to the World Health Organisation's target of $34.
Dr Chimedza also reported that while budgetary allocations were made each year, the funds disbursed were insignificant and often sporadic, making it difficult for institutions to plan and provide the required services.
"We're operating on a cash budget, from hand to mouth. Often the bulk of the money we get goes to salary expenditure, debts payment and utilities hence complaints over rotting bodies and lack of drugs.
"The ministry is in a tight space. However, we've taken a position not to turn people away but attend to them and then follow them for payment," he said.
During the plenary session, parliamentarians called for increased budgetary allocation to the health sector and timely disbursement of the funds.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr Paul Chimedza, debating in parliament recently urged government to adopt a new finance model for public health centres.
Chimedza said relying on fiscal funding for health care institutions was not sustainable hence the outcry over poor health care service rendered to Zimbabweans across the country.
"The system of getting money from the fiscus isn't working. We need a new financing model for the health sector, a model that is sustainable. The ministry budget is on the decrease with services now dependent on donor funding and user fees," he said.
"Feeding patients is now difficult because the hospitals are struggling to collect revenue because of the difficult economy."
Coming at a time when medical doctors had downed tools citing low remuneration and poor working conditions, Dr Chimedza said government hospitals were no longer able to provide free health services as expected because of budgetary constraints.
He called for increased budgetary allocation for the sector and reported that treasury only allocated eight percent of the 2014 budget to health, falling short of the Abuja declaration target of 15 percent. It also emerged that the country gave $25,92 per capita allocation for health compared to the World Health Organisation's target of $34.
Dr Chimedza also reported that while budgetary allocations were made each year, the funds disbursed were insignificant and often sporadic, making it difficult for institutions to plan and provide the required services.
"We're operating on a cash budget, from hand to mouth. Often the bulk of the money we get goes to salary expenditure, debts payment and utilities hence complaints over rotting bodies and lack of drugs.
"The ministry is in a tight space. However, we've taken a position not to turn people away but attend to them and then follow them for payment," he said.
During the plenary session, parliamentarians called for increased budgetary allocation to the health sector and timely disbursement of the funds.
Source - Chronicle
