By Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – Chiredzi Central Member of Parliament, Ropafadzo Makumire has urged Parliament to enact laws barring the executive and key decision makers from getting treatment outside the country ensure that they revamp the country’s dilapidated health system which the citizens are being subjected to , TellZim News can report.
The country’s health system is currently in a sorry state, with the majority of citizens travelling distances to seek better medical facilities, from as far as Chiredzi to Karanda Mission Hospital in Mt Darwin.
Recently, social media was awash with an accident victim whose broken hand was wrapped with a cardboard box due to lack of proper plaster equipment in public hospitals.
Last week, parliamentarians debated on the report of the portfolio committee in Health and Child Care on non-communicable diseases like cancer, where members of parliament fumed over the current state of the country’s health system.
Speaking during the session, Makumire proposed that the Presidium and Ministers should be barred from seeking medical attention abroad saying that was the only way for them to promote health services in the country.
“Sometimes there is no clean water and electricity in hospitals where patients will be treated. Some challenges are very small that they do not require people to congregate to solve them. We are in this situation because those who are responsible do not get treatment from local hospitals.
“This August House has a responsibility of enacting laws which will guide us, so I suggest that we enact laws which will require the executive and you Hon. Speaker, to be treated locally until the issue of healthcare facilities has been fixed,” said Makumire.
Makumire also highlighted the issue of brain drain which he said heavily affected the country’s health system as experienced nurses and doctors were leaving the country for greener pastures.
“The issue of public sector healthcare workers is an important one. There are no doctors and nurses in our public hospitals and because most health workers have left the country for greener opportunities, I believe that these are people who could have been helping us in fighting this pandemic of cancer,” said Makumire.
Makumire also called for a joint public hospital visit by the Parliamentarians and the Executive to assess the state of the hospitals.
“Hon. Speaker Sir, this August House should take a day where the executive visits public hospitals to see their state,” said Makumire.
Mt Darwin North Constituency MP, Labbany Munemo also said people were moving long distances to access proper medical health care services.
“We have people who suffer from cancer and other chronic illnesses whose situation is worsened by shortage of healthcare facilities in rural areas. Some people do not seek medical attention because they have to walk long distances,” said Munemo.
Most leaders are seeking medical attention from first world countries including China and India whilst the general populace is rotting in public hospitals.
Several cancer patients got crowd funding to get medical treatment in India and China as Zimbabwe has no cancer screening machines and treatment centres.
