The ManicaPost
Post Reporters
RESIDENTS in Chipinge have appealed to Government to increase the number of doctors working at hospitals in the district for better service and convenience.
Although the Government has made some strides in posting medical practitioners to some health institutions in Chipinge, residents feel more doctors are needed at other hospitals to decongest the district’s referral centre.
The area has four hospitals namely Chipinge District, Mt Selinda, St Peter’s and Chikore hospitals with a combined total of eight doctors.
There are four doctors at Chipinge District Hospital, while Mt Selinda and St Peter’s have two each.
Chipinge District Medical Officer, Dr Brian Makumbe, said Government remains committed to improving the doctor-patient ratio at the district’s hospitals and recently deployed junior doctors there.
Residents were imploring Government to increase the number of doctors in the district.
Chipinge Town Community Association chairperson Mr Amato Rungano said a shortage of doctors in the district would not be an ideal situation, especially in the face of the Covi-19 pandemic.
“We feel that there are not enough doctors in the district and we are appealing to the Government to bail us out. Our fear is that the few available ones may get overwhelmed with work.
“May the Ministry of Health and Child Care assist in this regard as we need enough medical practitioners in this era of coronavirus. Some people are coming from as far as Checheche and the referral centre in Chipinge is the nearest health facility,” said Mr Rungano.
Meanwhile, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr John Mangwiro has said plans are on course to deploy at least six doctors and 20 specialists to district and provincial hospitals respectively across the country.
He added that nurses and laboratory technicians will also be seconded to the stations as a way of capacitating the health institutions.
Increased access to affordable and quality primary healthcare is one of the key pillars under National Development Strategy 1.
