Ambulance fees now 5 million Zimbabwe dollars as health crisis continues

By Tererai Karimakwenda
04 December 2006

The demand for ambulances is now more critical than ever, yet those who need this service the most cannot afford it. As of January 1st, the city of Harare raised ambulance fees to 5 million Zimbabwe dollars per trip. Those fortunate enough to make it to a hospital in an ambulance still have to deal with medical shortages and the lack of basic supplies. And at a time when all sorts of diseases are affecting entire families, calling an ambulance is no longer an option.

The Zimonline news site reported that an outbreak of cholera killed 14 people in the Chivhu area over the holidays with a further 100 cases being reported during the same period in Chikomba district. These are the reported cases. Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa told us Wednesday that no official numbers can reflect the true nature of the current health crisis. He said many cases go unreported because people are seeking alternative methods of treatment that they can afford. Traditional and spiritual healers are doing brisk business, and so are fake so-called prophets taking advantage of the situation.
Muchemwa said skin diseases and stomach problems are the most common symptoms that people are complaining about. In many families it starts with one child getting sick, and before long the whole family is ill. He has noticed that although more families are boiling their water before drinking, it still has an oily sediment that many Harare residents are talking about. It is widely believed that the heavy rains that fell this last week got mixed up with raw sewage and wound up in the drinking water. Without much choice, people are forced to drink the water anyway.
On the lighter side, Muchemwa said there is a joke making the rounds that government officials knew that ambulance fees would sore to 5 million dollars, this is why they introduced the ox-drawn ambulances last year.