Pixie DustParliamentarians are considering laws to commercialize services at Zimbabwe’s public hospitals. After visiting Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, the country’s largest referral center, Daniel Molokele, chairperson of the parliamentary Health Portfolio Committee, addressed journalists, expressing the need for change.
Molokele emphasized the committee’s responsibility to ensure access to health services, especially for cancer treatment, is available to all Zimbabweans, not just a privileged few. He argued that the main issue is not funding but the legal and policy framework governing healthcare services. He advocated for institutions like Parirenyatwa and Mpilo to gain more autonomy in providing fee-based services.
During the committee’s tour of the cancer treatment units at Parirenyatwa and Mpilo Central Hospital, they observed broken-down critical machines. Molokele, the CCC Member of Parliament for the Hwange constituency, stated the necessity for these hospitals to manage their own repairs and maintenance costs. He proposed pushing for policy and legal changes to enable local access to healthcare services, reducing the need for patients to seek treatment in India, South Africa, or the private sector.
Zimbabwe’s government-run public health facilities include six central hospitals, eight provincial hospitals, and 63 district-level hospitals, with additional rural facilities.
