News / National
Zimbabwe parly divided over state of health sector
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Parliament on Thursday was engulfed in a heated debate over Zimbabwe's deteriorating health sector, with opposition lawmakers pressing for a declaration of a national emergency, while ruling party MPs resisted the call.
Chiredzi Central legislator Ropafadzo Makumire, introducing the motion, painted a stark picture of collapsing hospitals, critical shortages of medicines and staff, and a mass exodus of health professionals. He said over 4,000 healthcare workers, including 2,600 nurses, have left the country in recent years.
"Women are dying during childbirth due to lack of electricity, clean water, medicines and staff. This is a constitutional crisis. We can no longer pretend that all is well," Makumire told Parliament. He accused Treasury of withholding funds budgeted for health, leaving hospitals reliant on donor support, and called for an emergency programme to supply essential resources.
Several MPs backed the motion, highlighting the dire conditions in rural areas. Dzivaresekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa described clinics where expectant mothers deliver under candlelight, while Goromonzi West's Beatrice Nyamupinga said patients are often asked to bring their own gloves and bandages. One legislator cited a case of a Kariba woman mauled by a hyena, who could not undergo surgery in Harare because Sally Mugabe Hospital lacked basic surgical supplies, forcing her to return home untreated.
However, ZANU-PF MPs rejected the proposal, arguing that while challenges exist, the situation does not warrant a national emergency. Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi stressed that the government has maintained healthcare structures since independence and attributed difficulties to sanctions and economic constraints.
Other ruling party legislators highlighted ongoing hospital renovations, new clinics funded through Constituency Development Funds, and the President's recent hospital visits as evidence of progress. They urged unity in lobbying for 15% of the national budget to be allocated to health, in line with the Abuja Declaration.
The debate was adjourned and is set to resume next week.
Chiredzi Central legislator Ropafadzo Makumire, introducing the motion, painted a stark picture of collapsing hospitals, critical shortages of medicines and staff, and a mass exodus of health professionals. He said over 4,000 healthcare workers, including 2,600 nurses, have left the country in recent years.
"Women are dying during childbirth due to lack of electricity, clean water, medicines and staff. This is a constitutional crisis. We can no longer pretend that all is well," Makumire told Parliament. He accused Treasury of withholding funds budgeted for health, leaving hospitals reliant on donor support, and called for an emergency programme to supply essential resources.
However, ZANU-PF MPs rejected the proposal, arguing that while challenges exist, the situation does not warrant a national emergency. Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi stressed that the government has maintained healthcare structures since independence and attributed difficulties to sanctions and economic constraints.
Other ruling party legislators highlighted ongoing hospital renovations, new clinics funded through Constituency Development Funds, and the President's recent hospital visits as evidence of progress. They urged unity in lobbying for 15% of the national budget to be allocated to health, in line with the Abuja Declaration.
The debate was adjourned and is set to resume next week.
Source - online
