Anti-brain drain committee set up

GOVERNMENT has set up a committee to arrest the brain drain in the health sector as the Second Republic continues to pursue bilateral agreements with other countries for health professionals within the World Health Organisation framework.

The committee on brain drain is tasked with coming up with mechanisms to accelerate provision of non-monetary incentives such as staff accommodation, transport, vehicle loans, canteens and Wi-Fi connectivity for health workers.

The committee is also supposed to look into measures aimed at improving the remuneration of tutors in nurses' training colleges and administration of those institutions and judicious adjustment of monetary benefits.

It will also seek to address the disparity between the urban and rural health personnel incentives in order to attract personnel to rural areas.

A number of nurses in both public hospitals and council run clinics are resigning citing poor salaries and working conditions.

The Minister of Health and Child Care, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, recently pronounced that mortgage for health workers are back and the front-line workers will be able to get car loans with Government cover.

VP Chiwenga has always emphasised that the health worker needs accommodation and proper transport, with the salary being icing on the cake

In a post-Cabinet briefing yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Cabinet approved the report of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on stemming the brain drain in the health sector.

The report was presented by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira in his capacity as the acting Minister of Health and Child Care in collaboration with the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Professor Paul Mavima, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee.

"Cabinet wishes to inform the public that the Inter-Ministerial Committee identified the causes of the brain drain in the health sector. To stem the brain drain, a committee was therefore setup to look holistically look into the following issues: mechanisms to accelerate provision of non-monetary incentives such as staff accommodation, transport, vehicle loans, canteens/cafeterias, Wi-Fi facilities connectivity," she said.

"The committee will also look into measures to improve the remuneration of tutors in nurses training colleges and administration of nurses training colleges, judicious adjustment of monetary benefits and addressing the disparity between the urban and rural health personnel incentives in order to attract personnel to rural areas."
Minister Mutsvangwa said Government will continue to pursue bilateral agreements with destination countries for health professionals within the WHO framework.

She said the country is next month expecting a delivery of five million syringes to compliment the 13,2 million Covid-19 vaccines which have so far been procured.

As of Monday, Zimbabwe's cumulative Covid-19 cases stood at 131 875, with 125 479 recoveries and 4 643 deaths. The active cases decreased from 1 504 cases to 667 cases.

"This translates to a national coverage of 37, 3 percent for the first dose and 28,3 percent for the second. The Ministry of Health and Child Care has dispatched a team to Chitungwiza City to raise awareness and ramp up  vaccination efforts to raise vaccine uptake by residents in Chitungwiza," said Minister Mutsvangwa.

She said the number of new Covid-19 infections have since last week been declining with the daily average of new cases having dropped from 19 to 10 per day.

Minister Mutsvangwa attributed the decline to the comprehensive response by Government.

"There has been a general decline of Covid-19 cases reported in schools. The Ministry of Health and Child Care remains on high alert to contain any surges in Covid-19 cases in learning institutions," said Minister Mutsvangwa.