Mat'land cries foul over poor hospital funding

THE Government has come under fire from people in Matabeleland region after paltry funds were allocated to mission hospitals in the region compared to similar health institutions from other regions in the national budget.

A report tabled by the Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care on the implementation of the targeted approach programme in mission hospitals in the National Assembly last Tuesday shows that mission hospitals in Matabeleland were allocated inadequate funds.

Health and Childcare Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa yesterday blamed the skewed distribution on MDC-T bungling during the Inclusive Government era between 2009 and 2013.

Dr Parirenyatwa told The Chronicle that the report is for the 2009 to 2012 period when the MDC-T was at the helm of the country's Treasury. He said the then Minister of Finance, Mr Tendai Biti, used the targeted approach in allocating funds to mission hospitals resulting in wide discrepancies.

"The targeted approach started with the Inclusive Government in the 2012 period. The Minister of Finance Tendai Biti would select the hospitals to allocate funds. This resulted in Mnene Mission Hospital being given the amount it was allocated. The targeted approach is giving us problems even up to date and we're in the process of resolving the mess it caused to our health sector," Dr Parirenyatwa said.

Mission hospitals, he said, have this year been allocated an average of $55,000 for capital projects. Dr Parirenyatwa said there was no marginalisation in provision of healthcare countrywide.

According to the report, mission hospitals from Matabeleland region were each allocated about $38 000 while mission health centres from other regions were given up to $700,000.

The report shows that $37,450 was released to Mtshabezi Mission Hospital in Matabeleland South while Kariangwe Hospital in Binga, Matabeleland North was allocated $37 500.

The report also stated that Mnene Mission Hospital in Mberengwa was allocated $670,000, St. Albert's Mission Hospital from Mashonaland Central was given $709,200 although $700.000 was allocated in the national Budget.

Chikombedzi Hospital in Masvingo was allocated $250,000.

Debating in the National Assembly, Binga South MP Mr Prince Dubeko Sibanda (MDC-T) said the figures show why the region is under developed compared to other regions.

"What we're seeing here is that we have got a central government that feels that a hospital in Mashonaland Central should receive $700,000 — close to a million dollars and only gives $37,000 to a hospital that is in Matabeleland South and another that is in Matabeleland North. It is not by coincidence that hospitals in Masvingo, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland and Mashonaland East received close to a million dollars when hospitals in Matabeleland received below $40,000," said Mr Sibanda whose party held the Health Ministry portfolio during the inclusive Government.

Dr Henry Madzorera was the Minister of Health and Child Welfare between 2009-2013. Social commentator Mr Cont Mhlanga said the money that was disbursed to the region's mission hospitals was regrettable. Mr Mhlanga said the government has to clarify the criteria they used in allocating mission hospitals their operational funds.

"This clearly shows that there's someone who has an agenda of under developing the region. How many company executives are taking home $40,000 monthly? And because it's a hospital from Matabeleland region some government officials see it fit to allocate $40,000 to mission hospitals. The amount is very insulting to the people of Matabeleland. How does a hospital operate with $40,000 when another operating in almost similar conditions is given $700,000?" he asked.

Mr Mhlanga called on the government to justify why it wants youths from the region to stop migrating to other countries when it's failing to cater for them.