Zimbabwe govt equips 25 rural hospitals with medical equipment

The Government has distributed anaesthetic and digital X-ray machines to 25 rural district hospitals across Zimbabwe as part of a broader initiative to enhance healthcare service delivery in remote areas, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has announced.

Speaking in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Dr Mombeshora said the development is a key component of efforts to decentralise healthcare services and reduce the burden on central hospitals in cities like Harare and Bulawayo. The programme is expected to significantly improve access to diagnostic and surgical care for rural communities.

"For the first 100 days of the year, we have distributed anaesthetic machines and digital X-rays to 25 hospitals. We have also empowered maternity waiting homes at the same hospitals," Dr Mombeshora said. "This is going to benefit pregnant women and allow caesarean sections to be done at district level, which was previously a major challenge."

The minister revealed that Government is now entering the second phase of the programme, which will include the delivery of CT (Computed Tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) machines to the same rural hospitals by the end of the year. The move is aimed at reducing the need for long-distance travel to urban centres for essential diagnostic services.

Additionally, Dr Mombeshora said the Government had installed tracking systems on vehicles transporting medicines from the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) warehouses to health facilities. The move is intended to curb leakages and ensure that medical supplies reach their intended destinations.

"We have a budget of US$44 million for medication procurement this year. So far, US$11 million worth of medicines has been delivered to clinics and hospitals," the minister stated.

To support ongoing healthcare reforms, the Treasury has pledged an additional US$3 million before the end of the month for the purchase of medicines for chronic illnesses such as hypertension and diabetes.

In a push to strengthen the pharmaceutical sector, Dr Mombeshora said the Government is working with the Ministries of Higher and Tertiary Education, Industry and Commerce, and Finance to boost local production of medicines. Currently, 14 pharmaceutical companies are operational in Zimbabwe, but only 12 manufacture human medicines, and their combined output accounts for just 13 percent of the country's total medicine needs.

"These companies do not have the capacity to produce enough stock. We want to empower them to ensure we have sustainable and adequate local production of essential drugs," he said.

Dr Mombeshora also highlighted that large hospitals such as Mpilo, Harare, and Parirenyatwa have been equipped with advanced cancer treatment machines as part of a parallel investment in tertiary care.

The developments come as part of a comprehensive healthcare modernisation plan under the Second Republic, aimed at improving health outcomes and achieving equitable access to quality medical services across Zimbabwe.