Mnangagwa visits public hospitals amid growing health sector crisis

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday visited Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe hospitals, as well as the NatPharm warehouse, in what he said was an effort to gain first-hand insight into the worsening crisis in Zimbabwe's public healthcare system.

The surprise visits come after mounting public outcry over the deteriorating conditions in government hospitals, which have been plagued by broken infrastructure, chronic drug shortages, and the mass exodus of skilled health professionals due to poor remuneration and working conditions.

Writing on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the President said:

    "I visited Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe Hospitals, as well as the NatPharm warehouse, to gain a clearer understanding of the current state of our public health services. Strengthening healthcare delivery remains a central focus of the Second Republic."

The move follows public pressure from high-profile individuals, including Youth Empowerment Minister Tinoda Machakaire, who last month publicly challenged Mnangagwa to visit public hospitals and see for himself the conditions patients and healthcare workers are enduring daily.

Mnangagwa's administration has faced growing criticism for what many view as neglect of the healthcare sector. Decaying infrastructure, obsolete equipment, and persistent shortages of essential medicines have led to many public health institutions being described as "death traps" by health advocacy groups.

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) last week made a passionate appeal to the government, warning that lives are being lost daily due to avoidable circumstances stemming from inadequate resources and poor management. They urged urgent action to address the national health crisis.

Health workers across the country have, over the years, staged protests and submitted petitions demanding salary reviews, better working conditions, and investment in healthcare infrastructure. However, little has been done to resolve their grievances, and the result has been a massive brain drain, with many doctors and nurses leaving Zimbabwe in search of better opportunities abroad.

Critics argue that while the President's hospital visits may be commendable symbolically, what is needed are concrete reforms, meaningful budgetary allocations, and swift implementation of policies to resuscitate the health sector.

Observers will now be watching closely to see whether Mnangagwa's walk through hospital corridors will translate into decisive action-or become yet another missed opportunity to reverse the sector's steep decline.