Pulse on health sector encouraging

 

Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter

 

As the Second Republic seeks to achieve universal health coverage and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), access to health services continue to gain ground in Manicaland.

 

At the core of the strategy is the provision of basic health services to all rural, urban and peri-urban communities.

 

The burden to provide health facilities in every corner of the province was made lighter through the disbursement of Devolution Funds by Government.

 

The funds are being used to construct new health facilities and rehabilitate existing ones.

 

Over the past five years, President Mnangagwa’s vision to fund devolution programmes has enabled both rural and urban councils to drastically improve the health services delivery system in Manicaland.

 

Government has also managed to look into other curative areas like drilling of boreholes, acquisition of ambulances, water treatment chemicals and connecting the health facilities to solar.

 

The long distances that people used to trudge to access basic primary health care have now been drastically reduced, thanks to the Second Republic’s massive investments in the health sector.

 

Nationally, the Ministry of Health and Child Care has also made significant achievements in the development of health infrastructure ranging from the construction of new health facilities to rehabilitation of existing infrastructure.

 

As of last year, about 47 health facilities were constructed and completed, 94 projects were under renovation, 1074 health facilities were connected to solar and 201 health facilities benefited from the borehole water project.

 

The ministry also invested an estimated US$210 million into bringing quality healthcare to all, with the project set to avail four by 20-bed health centres and twenty-six by 20-bed health centres as well as five by 60-bed district hospitals.

 

Government has procured medical equipment as part of the initiative by the Ministry of Health and Child Care to retool its hospitals.

 

This has cascaded to the health facilities in Manicaland.

 

The equipment was financed to the tune of US$23m, and some of it includes magnetic resonance imaging equipment, mammogram, image intensifiers (C-Arm), fixed digital X-ray machines, mobile digital X-ray machines, anaesthetic machines, ophthalmic microscope, dental sets which include dental chairs, dental X-ray, and dental autoclave; vital sign monitors, Covid-19 hospital equipment, ventilators, theatre lights, multipara meter monitors and ultrasound scan machines, among others.

 

About 12 health facilities in Manicaland recently received the ultrasound scan machines as part of Government’s efforts to fight the high maternal mortality rate in the province.

 

While the country is celebrating a significant decline in the maternal mortality rate, the province still has the highest Institutional Maternal Mortality Rate (IMMR) in the country, hence the need for the machines.

 

The ultrasound machines were distributed in rural district clinics across the province.

 

Funded by development partner, USAID, and implemented by FHI360 and Government through the Mhuri/Imuli Project, the move seeks to compliment Government’s efforts of making sure that health services are accessible to everyone.

 

As a result, the infant mortality rate, which used to be high, has drastically reduced as a number of clinics and hospitals have been built, upgraded and equipped to offer better health care in line with SDG3 which seeks to ensure health and well-being for all.

 

Healthcare systems form a key part of governments’ strategies across the world, and therefore the level of expenditure in the health sector continues to increase, especially following the advent of Covid-19 and HIV.

 

Makoni Rural District Council received devolution funds and channelled $7m to health related issues in 2020, with the Nzvimbe Clinic being its flagship project.

 

The facility serves over 13 000 people who used to travel for 20km to either Nyamidzi or Mount Zuma Clinics.

 

Nzvimbe Clinic, which was first mooted in the early 1980s, only came to fruition in 2020, thanks to devolution.

 

In Buhera, more than 10 000 villagers are now benefiting from Mbundire Clinic, which was also constructed using devolution funds.

 

Chimanimani Rural District Clinic upgraded Mhakwe Clinic and constructed Hotsprings Clinic to help ease the pressure on tens of thousands of villagers who are now relying on the health facilities for services.

 

Other signature projects that are either complete or still under construction include the US$6 million state-of-the-art National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) warehouse at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, Mabvazuva Poly Clinic (Rusape), Chidazembe, Magadzire, Mt Jenya, Muparutsa, Nyamukwarara and Tsvingwe Clinics in Mutasa district as well as Zamuchiya, Chipangayi, Checheche and Maondere Clinics in Chipinge.

 

Construction of the NatPharm warehouse at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare has been a game changer.

 

Once operational, it is expected to improve access to drugs and their availability throughout the province.

 

The warehouse has capacity to store around 6 000 pallets of medicine.

 

In line with the National Development Strategy (NDS1)’s thrust of improving communication in disaster prone areas, Government recently installed Wi-Fi at two clinics in Chipinge District.

 

The unlimited wireless network was installed at Ngaone and Chichichi Clinics and will be open and free to health personnel and villagers.

 

So far, more than 405 healthcare facilities have been equipped with solar systems across Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces.

 

The installations started in 2017 and Regina Coeli Mission Hospital is one of the major referral hospitals in the province that benefited from the arrangement.

 

All these projects, among many others not mentioned here, are crucial because access to comprehensive and quality health care services is important in promoting and maintaining health.

 

It also helps in preventing and managing disease, reducing unnecessary disability and premature death, as well as achieving health equity for all Zimbabweans.

 

 

This is further cemented by Government’s policy on provision of free-of-charge health services for pregnant and lactating mothers, children under five and those aged 60 years and above.

 

In a recent interview, Secretary for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Edgars Seenza said health services provision is a top priority under Vision 2030.

 

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Health and Child Care Minister, is on record saying under the able leadership of President Mnangagwa, Government took several steps to enhance its capacity to efficiently and effectively deal with Covid-19, resulting in the success story in tackling the pandemic.

 

Government’s multi-sectoral approach, in conjunction with friendly countries such as China, Russia and India, as well as development partners, implemented a Comprehensive National Preparedness and Response Strategic Plan to minimise the impact and reduce the risks of the pandemic.

 

Launching the Health Resilience Fund (HRF), the National Health Strategy (2021-2025), the Investment Case for the National Health Strategy and the Coordination Framework for the Health Sector early this year, Vice President Chiwenga said these strategies will ensure that millions of Zimbabweans get access to healthcare services as enunciated in NDS1 and in pursuit of Vision 2030.

 

“These strategies are designed to ensure a resilient and sustainable health system. The challenges and lessons learnt were critically analysed to come up with bankable health interventions cognisant of the scarcity of resources and the need for improved efficiency in our programming,” he said.

 

This provides the perfect tonic and prescription for a healthy nation, which is the engine that will spur the country’s economy.