Labour Economist African Democrats (LEAD) president Linda Masarira has written a letter to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who doubles as Minister of Health urging him to get his acts together.
She said Chiwenga failed to restore legacy the same reason he led a coup against late former president Robert Mugabe for.
“Of all these (promises) VP and Minister Chiwenga you only achieved one and it is mind-boggling how you are failing to restore legacy in the health sector.
“Health is a fundamental human right which your ministry is denying millions of Zimbabweans. My fellow countrymen can’t afford to get treated in private hospitals which are very exorbitant in healthcare fees.
“Public hospitals are ill-equipped to cater for ordinary Zimbabweans and maternal mortality is increasing.
“I am sure you want to leave a positive legacy and that legacy can only be one of the men who revived healthcare in Zimbabwe and put a smile on people’s faces.
“We can’t continue to put lipstick on pigs whilst pretending that everything is under control. Nothing is under control. People are suffering, people are struggling, and people are dying,” she said.
Adequately fund healthcare
Masarira said Chiwenga must ensure the health sector is adequately resourced so that citizens can walk into government hospitals with the confidence of getting treatment.
“I implore you Soko, to do the right thing to commit to saving Zimbabweans from doom. There is nothing impossible under the sun. Impossibility is just in the mind.
“We all just need to walk into a government hospital and get treated by happy, well-remunerated nurses and doctors who have medicines in their pharmacies and everything that is needed for a hospital to fully function.
“We have many organic intellectuals in this country who can help revamp the health sector with ideas, resources and expertise.
“Lastly, I recommend that you make sincere efforts to reform and manage the health sector to effectively and efficiently deliver comprehensive, quality health services that are equitable, accessible, affordable and sustainable for all the people in Zimbabwe.
“I also pray that your ministry fulfils the National health strategy plan in the NDS documents and works tirelessly to deliver world-class standard quality healthcare to all Zimbabweans regardless of class. A healthy nation is a productive nation,” she said.
Although access to health is a right guaranteed by the constitution, the government has failed to ensure people’s right to access to affordable, quality, and basic health care in government hospitals.
Most if not all public hospitals lack basic antibiotics, painkillers, and chronic disease medication. The government has also failed to live up to its Abuja Declaration signature where it promised to allocate 15% of the budget to health.
