Blessed Chauke
The Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) has blasted the government for the failure of the Treasury to prioritise funding the health sector in its report to the Zimbabwe Parliament on June 16 this year.
Commenting on Auditor General Mildred Chiri’s 2019 report, ZIMCODD noted that the Ministry of Health and Child Care made several budgets to ensure smooth service delivery but only a few funds are released from government coffers.
“Treasury is not committed to fund the health sector regardless of the deplorable state of the sector.
“While the Ministry of Health and Child Care budgeted ZW$155 464 000 for the implementation of key programmes including the procurement of ambulances, provision of water at referral centres, medical equipment and refurbishment of health institutions, treasury only released $2 137 277 which is only one percent of the budget which was utilised on construction works of four provincial hospitals,” read a statement by ZIMCODD.
The Auditor General’s report also highlighted the deteriorating conditions at Masvingo Provincial Hospital, the province’s biggest referrals hospital which sometimes goes for years without disposing expired drugs.
“Service deliveries continue to plunge, posing a health risk. Masvingo Provincial Hospital had expired drugs classified drugs not disposed of contrary to section 90 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act which requires disposal of all obsolete, surplus, and unserviceable assets.
“The drugs had expired between the years 1995 and 2019. In addition the, AG was not availed with application letters for the disposal of expired drugs worth $31 696 whose board of surveys had been conducted in April and November 2019,” read the ZIMCODD statement.
Masvingo Provincial Hospital was previously in the papers for having challenges of acquiring an incinerating facilities that meet the Environmental Management Agency standards, which will assist in disposing expired drugs.
