By Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – Resident leaders here have welcomed the government’s commitment to
rehabilitate Chiredzi General Hospital, but say the facility also urgently needs a nursing school,
specialist doctors and, crucially, a reliable supply of medicines for patients referred to it from
across the district.
United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (UCHIRRA) Chairperson Josphat Tizirai
welcomed the renovation pledge but stressed that it should not be a once-off gesture but a
standing government obligation under the minimum service delivery standards.
“It’s a noble idea and their duty to do that regularly as its part of the seven pillars of minimum
service delivery standards. They should also provide medication to these referral hospitals, and it
will be extra nice to the people of Chiredzi,” said Tizirai.
Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHIRRA) Chairperson Jonathan Muusha
echoed the sentiment, saying the hospital’s importance to the wider Lowveld made its
rehabilitation even more urgent.
“As Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association, we applaud that move for the renovations,
because Chiredzi hospital is a very busy district hospital which serves a large population area,
including the community from Mwenezi, Zaka and the five constituencies,” Muusha said.
He added that the government, through the Ministry of Health, must also establish a nursing
school to benefit local children, and the hospital must have specialist doctors, a notion which had
been raised in parliament by Chiredzi Central legislator Ropafadzo Makumire.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care recently pledged to renovate Chiredzi General Hospital
under the Independency Legacy Programme after Makumire pressed Deputy Minister of Health
and Child Care Sleiman Timios Kwidini on the government’s efforts to modernize the facility.
Kwidini acknowledged the need for rehabilitation, adding that the hospital required infrastructure
upgrading to improve service delivery, and that the Ministry was aware of several problem areas,
including its mortuary and other ageing infrastructure.
In parliament Makumire directly asked the Minister of Health and Child Care why medication
was no longer readily available in public hospitals.
“In a lot of areas in our country, residents face a number of challenges in terms of accessing
healthcare; they are just given prescriptions, and they go to buy medication from pharmacies.
What is Government doing in terms of ensuring that residents get all the services from
Government hospitals after getting treated, and that they get their medication from the local
pharmacy?” asked Makumire.
In his response, Kwidini confirmed the shortage was real, saying it was difficult to get a constant
supply of medications in hospitals
“I agree with the Hon. Member that there are some medications which are not accessible in
public hospitals. In the recent past, medication was accessible all over, but we had a challenge in
terms of getting a constant supply of medication. For now, it is true in hospitals; we do not have
all the medication; we have some,” said Kwidini.
He said the Ministry was pursuing partnerships to close the gap, including local manufacturing
arrangements for minor ailments and direct deals with manufacturers of other medicines through
NatPharm.
