Senior doctor says health service has totally collapsed

By Tichaona Sibanda
17 May 2007

A senior medical practitioner confirmed on Thursday that a ‘tremendous’ number of patients have died of preventable conditions, because of the state of the country’s health delivery service.

Dr Henry Madzorera told Newsreel the country’s health delivery system was now on its knees and the situation was set to worsen as medical operations at central and district hospitals have been suspended while emergencies were not being dealt with. Many wards have also been closed because of the unavailability of nurses.

‘The human cost of this crisis is at its highest now. It is a situation that should not be allowed to go on because people have suffered enough,’ he said.

Doctors at all major government hospitals have gone on strike to press for better pay, barely two months after ending a three-month job boycott that paralysed the healthcare system countrywide. The Hospital Doctors Association President, Dr Kudakwashe Nyamutukwa, said doctors had gone on strike again to demand a salary review in response to the sharp rise in the cost of living since the last increment.

Commenting on this latest strike Dr Henry Madzorera said it is sad that government is calling upon health workers to sacrifice and work for nothing because of their bad policies. The government has also told the doctors it is broke.

The deputy health minister Edwin Muguti said government has no money, but it understands the doctors’ grievances. Muguti added that they cannot promise anything positive for now and appealed to the striking personnel to return to work for the public’s sake.

Doctors earn about Z$500,000 a month (US$16). The Consumer Council says a family of 5 now require Z$1.5 million, for it’s basic needs and the country’s latest official inflation rate is now 3,714%, the highest in the world.

Dr Madzorera said the situation in hospitals is so bad that patients that patients are being asked to buy gloves for the doctors, as well as bringing their own cotton wool and drips.