GOVERNMENT has warned politicians, activists and media
practitioners against unwarranted visits to hospitals, adding that such action
violates the rights of patients.
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Child
Care said Section 57 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution provides the right to privacy.
“There has been a recent increase in the number of
political actors, activists and the media making unauthorised visits to
hospitals under different guises and pretexts,” noted the ministry in the
statement.
“These invasions of patients’ privacy are unwarranted and
are unacceptable. When in hospitals, patients expect to have therapeutic
encounters with doctors, nurses and other caregivers and not political actors
leading media crews to record their most private and vulnerable moments…
“We urge all stakeholders including politicians and members
of the media to respect the right of others to privacy as enshrined in Section
57 of our constitution,” reads part of the statement.
The Ministry called those intending to visit patients in
hospitals to adhere to stipulated visiting times. Hospitals, the statement
further reads, should not be used as venues for political grandstanding.
“Hospitals have stipulated visiting hours and limits the
number of visitors to two at a time for the reason of controlling possible
cross infections as well as compromising care and security of patients,” read
the statement.
“Hospitals need to get authorisation from each and every
patient before allowing strangers to have access to patients and their medical
information.
“This is an international norm which Zimbabwe upholds.
Hospitals are not and should not be used as a venue for rallies.”
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