Ghost workers at Zimbabwe's major hospitals

Zimbabwe's biggest hospitals are losing billions of dollars in public funds due to ghost workers, missing drugs, and a complete lack of oversight, a damning Auditor-General's report has revealed.

The hard-hitting audit exposes shocking mismanagement at Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), Ingutsheni Central Hospital, and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where salaries were paid to former employees, medicines disappeared from pharmacies, and unqualified staff were treating patients.

At Mpilo Central Hospital, four employees who had resigned months earlier still received ZWL40 million in salaries because payroll records were never updated.

"The hospital failed to submit monthly staff returns… This allowed resigned employees to continue receiving salaries," said Acting Auditor-General Rheah Kujinga, warning that such negligence undermines the entire public health system.

While Mpilo's management claims the funds were recovered and that new controls are in place, the report found deeper rot - including missing inventory worth ZiG161 million, unrecorded donations valued at ZiG2,15 billion, no internal audits, and no functioning management board as required by law.

At UBH, key staff - including radiographers, doctors, and nurse aides - could not be physically verified. The Human Resources department also failed to produce leave forms or duty rosters to justify their absences. Some employees were found to be working without valid practising certificates, in violation of the Health Professions Act.

Ingutsheni Central Hospital was also cited for serious irregularities. Records showed 1 611 units of Phenobarbitone in stock, but the pharmacy had none. Fuel, bread, sugar, and other supplies were listed as available but could not be found. The report slammed the hospital's weak inventory controls, warning that the lack of reconciliations creates fertile ground for fraud and shortages.

At Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, financial mismanagement included discrepancies in medical aid records. One debtor's balance was recorded as ZiG5,48 billion in the hospital's books, while the medical aid society reported owing only ZiG4,96 billion. Several capital projects also remain unfinished.

The report notes that none of the four hospitals have functioning management boards, in breach of the Health Service Act and the Public Entities Corporate Governance Act.

Worryingly, the same issues have persisted for years. Out of ten audit recommendations made in previous years, only one has been fully implemented.

Health rights advocates say the findings point to deep-rooted corruption, weak oversight, and leadership failures in Zimbabwe's public health institutions - a crisis costing both money and lives, while hospitals struggle with basic drugs, staff salaries, and functioning equipment.