Govt urged to allocate more resources to health

Zanu-PF proportional representation legislator Alice Chimbudzi has urged the government to strengthen the health delivery system in order to achieve universal health coverage.

Chimbudzi said the government should take practical measures to ensure the provision of basic, accessible and adequate health services throughout the country.

She said Zimbabwe had a very strong health system built upon the 1978 Alma Mater Primary Health Care approach, which identified primary healthcare as the key to the attainment of the goal of health for all.

The government, she said, should take all preventive measures within the limits of the resources available to it, including education and public awareness programmes, against the spread of disease.

Chimbudzi said the inadequacy of medical provisions such as drugs and lack of transport to ferry the sick was resulting in deaths that could have been avoided.

"Allocate adequate resources for the procurement of medical supplies and also for the provision of ambulances and other forms of transport to enhance health service delivery in the country," she said.

"Consider subsidising kidney dialysis as it is expensive for our citizens who fall victim to such ailments and provide decent accommodation to doctors as a way of motivating and incentivising them as they conduct their day-to-day health delivery services of saving lives of our dear Zimbabweans."

The MP said the health sector was also faced with a critical shortage of specialised professionals and healthcare staff, demotivated staff who are prone to go on strike, dilapidated hospital infrastructure, lack of essential machines and sundries, inadequate emergency services for delivery and under-utilisation of existing antenatal services.