MP bemoans state of affairs at Mpilo hospital

A member of the house of assembly N Mguni has bemoaned the state of affairs at the Mpilo Central Hospital saying patients were bringing their own blankets and sourced their own medication which made their lives more difficult.

Mguni speaking in parliament said Bulawayo hospitals, Mpilo and United Bulawayo Central Hospitals are poorly equipped to the extent that patients have to bring linen from home.

"Patients are buying medication using their own funds. It is even worse for the civil servants who contribute monthly subscriptions to Premier Medical Aid Society and yet fail to access health services, particularly medication," he said. "This is because we have failed to use the arms of Government to prosecute thieves. I am speaking from an informed point of view as I am a trained general nurse and midwife since post independence and have seen the deterioration. I am therefore standing here in this august House to speak for the voiceless and the unborn baby who has a right to a healthy life and a bright future."

Mguni said people of Zimbabwe produced a Constitution in 2013. It is therefore very critical for the Government to align laws with the Constitution and implement constitutional issues.

"For example, as provided for in Chapter 14, Section 264, on the devolution of Governmental powers and responsibilities and also Section 270, which provides for the functions of provincial and metropolitan councils. I feel they should start sitting and implement their functions, which include the responsibility of the social and economic development of its province like approval and implementation of projects without delaying," he said.

"Chapter Two, Section Nine of the Constitution of the country provides for the good governance of the country. This allows the Government to prevent corruption, appoint leaders to positions based on merit, take measures to expose, combat and eradicate all forms of corruption and abuse of power by those in political and public offices."

He said general Zimbabwean is struggling to make ends meet as a result of the economy that has remained in doldrums.

"The City of Bulawayo, which I represent, popularly known as ko ntuntu ziyathunqa, is almost a ghost town now. This is due to industries which were closed, leaving millions of residents unemployed and starving. The smoke we now see is from the firewood used by residents for cooking,": he said.

"The prevailing economic environment has a negative effect on business and the hindering factors are; lack of access to finance, policy inconsistency, lack of suitable infrastructure, corruption and restrictive labour regulations. If the country addresses these fundamental factors, a favourable business environment will be created, industries will open, jobs created, exporting business will begin and foreign currency and foreign investment will be attracted."

He said Bulawayo has been the industrial hub of the economy since 1980 until the 2000 era.

"However, due to the economic meltdown between 2007 and 2008, many industries closed, leading to an escalation in the unemployment rate. Companies like the National Blankets, the famous G & D and many others closed down. It is therefore feasible to utilise the infrastructure in Bulawayo and create a special Economic Zone in that region. Matebeleland is rich in minerals like coal and gold. If these minerals were well utilised, the economy would not be in its current state. Interested investors should be able to facilitate the recovery of industries and economic development," Mguni said.

"The potential of the City of Bulawayo towards the recovery of industry and economic development was displayed at the CZI Exporters of the Year Awards of 2013, where United Refineries, an industry located in Bulawayo scooped the top prize."

He said this shows that favourable conditions for investment and employment creation are essential for the prosperity of this region.

"Nearly over 100 firms have closed in Bulawayo to date. Most companies were affected by the dollarisation of the economy in 2009 where bank accounts were left with a zero balance in investments. The National Railways is currently operating at 10% capacity and this means that transport systems have gone down," Mguni said.

"The economic decline has resulted in massive unemployment rates. Many Bulawayo residents have migrated to other countries in search of greener pastures and this has caused serious brain drain. We need skills in order to progress, but the prevailing situation leaves us with no one to spearhead the development of the economy."

The MP said this has brought poverty, leaving the livelihood of families well below the poverty datum line. He said unemployment also means no income to many families and as a result, they are unable to pay school fees and secure accommodation for their children.

"This has resulted in an increase in homeless families, popularly known as squatters. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2014), the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) for Zimbabwe has declined from 960 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2010 to 614 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2014," he said.

"This is commendable progress. However, the ratio remains unacceptably high. Zimbabwe's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)'s target was to reduce MMR to 71 deaths per 100 000 live births by 2015. The health policy in Zimbabwe discourages against payment of maternal fees, but this has not been implemented."

Mguni said the health budget has failed to adhere to the Abuja Declaration to which Zimbabwe is a signatory. He said this means that implementation of free health delivery has failed.


"Reviving the industrial sector will improve the economy and the policy of health for all will be realised," he said.