Free suitable land must be identified for Zimbabweans wishing to set up medical parks, including those in the diaspora, President Mnangagwa has directed, as the country’s medical training facilities now rank as the second-best in SADC.
The Second Republic is scaling up the health care system
and the Government is working on competitively rewarding medical professionals
to gain greater staff retention in hospitals countrywide, he said.
The Government is leaving no one and no place behind in its
development. Rural health facilities are being built across Zimbabwe, and along
with other financial sources communities are dedicating large slices of the
devolution funds to ensure every community has access to basic health care.
President Mnangagwa in his weekly column in The Sunday
Mail, yesterday said there is growing demand for land on which to set up
medical facilities in the country.
“This demand has been coming especially from our citizens
in the diaspora wishing to invest back home. They want land on which to set up
all sorts of facilities, including those for research and further specialised
training,” he said.
“It is their own way of giving back to our society.
Accordingly, I am directing Government to identify suitable land across the
country on which to develop medical parks. Land should be free to those wishing
to set up shop or training facilities.”
President Mnangagwa said the land should attract
much-needed investments in the medical sector.
“We must strive to become a regional centre of excellence
when it comes to specialised training and care.
“Time must come when Zimbabwe becomes the preferred
destination for medical tourism. This calls for even bigger, focused quality
investments in manpower, machinery, medicines and facilities,” he said.
President Mnangagwa, who recently officially opened the
Great Zimbabwe University Medical School, bringing to four the medical schools
in the country, said Zimbabwe continues to strike gold in medical training
facilities.
“In our Southern African region, we now rank second to
South Africa, which has 10 such schools of medicine.
“Our goal is to have as many training facilities for
medical staff as would ensure that our doctor-to-patient ratio continues to
improve all the time. We are still far from that important goal,” he said.
The four tertiary institutions offering medical training
are University of Zimbabwe, National University of Science and Technology,
Midlands State University, and Great Zimbabwe University.
President Mnangagwa said the Second Republic continues to
invest in the health sector following the recent opening of a main warehouse
for stocking drugs for the nation.
“This facility, built through a Chinese grant, is for
National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm). It is a facility which now allows
us to stock medicines and other sensitive accessories we need in all our health
facilities countrywide.
“The coming budget, coupled with support from our
international partners, should see us fully stocking the facility, thereby
improving availability of medicines and accessories in the country. This is a
giant step forward for our nation,” he said.
The President said the need to equip and modernise
hospitals and clinics remains a top priority under his administration as
Zimbabwe scales up healthcare giving in the direction of greater
specialisation.
“At the end of the day, a doctor is as good as the
equipment and machinery available to them in the discharge of their work, which
invariably is delicate and life-saving.
“The Second Republic is fully aware of this area of great
concern and need, and will be making substantial provisions towards meeting
this pressing need, starting with this coming budget,” he said.
President Mnangagwa criticised the illegal sanctions
imposed on the country by Western nations saying the medical fraternity will
continue to defy odds and shine.
He also commended four young Zimbabwean doctors who left
for Kenya to do voluntary cleft lip and cleft palate surgery in that country.
“Our nation has to applaud and celebrate our four doctors
for living true to the Hippocratic Oath, and for raising Zimbabwe’s flag high
through deeds which are clearly Pan-African. Thank you Zimbabwe Medical Team!”
he said.
The Zimbabwean team comprises a senior surgeon, Dr Manana,
two anaesthetic specialists, Dr Marange and Dr Kasule, and the team leader, Dr
Danda.
The team went under the umbrella of a humanitarian
organisation called Love Without Reason, and will work on Kenyan children for
just under a week. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment