Norman Dururu
Gweru, (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe has a shortage of at least 57 000 health workers, which is affecting the smooth flow of health services, an official has said.
Speaking at Gweru Provincial Hospital, Health Services Commission deputy chairperson, Dr Rugare Abigail Kangwende said according to the health labour market analysis done in 2021 and 2022, the available health workforce is only 47,5 percent, which is less than half of what the country requires.
“There is shortage of at least 57 000 health workers in Zimbabwe to get to where we want if we are to meet Vision 2030 goals,” she said.
Dr Kangwende said Zimbabwe needs to at least double the number of health workers as soon as possible and certainly by 2030 if the country is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030.
“To do that, we need to increase the number of health workers being trained at our health institutions, the nursing schools, and the multi-disciplinary schools.
“Currently, the production is at about 3 400 a year, and we have 5 000 vacant posts even with that production. Projections and calculations mean we need to increase that production to at least 7 000 a year as soon as possible to achieve our vision 2030,” she said. The HSC, she said, has committed to create at least 32 000 posts by 2030. “That is a mammoth task but it has to be done,” she said.
Dr Kangwende said the HSC has committed to reducing attrition of health workers by at least 50 percent by 2030 so that they stop looking for greener pastures outside the country. “This would be achieved by offering better salaries to close the gap between the currently offered salaries and the salaries that health workers stated in the study.
“HSC and government are committed to close that gap because we know that health workers have a choice…they can go, if they are offered salaries elsewhere and if we do not pull our socks we will lose,” she said. HSC is also conducting a job evaluation exercise which will, among other things, ensure that health workers’ jobs are graded correctly according to the work that they do and then remunerate accordingly.
She said as Zimbabwe is moving towards achieving Vision 2030 targets, the health sector has an obligation to offer health services that are at upper-middle-income society economic level.
“That is where the country is moving and our health system has to be at that level,” Dr Kangwende said.
She applauded the 5S Kaizen Total Quality Management system, which has seen an improvement in services offered by GPH.
“Since the introduction of the 5S Kaizen TQM in 2015 here at GPH, the client and staff have reported desirable changes like reduced patient waiting time, drugs, diagnostic test and blood availability, staff attitude improvement, communication, staff morale, reduced cost and improved revenue collection,” she said.
GPH medical superintendent, Dr Fabian Mashingaidze said the 5S Kaizen philosophy works to improve work environment and helps improve the processes of services that they give so that the quality of services is good and safe. “It is the basis for organisational management and helps to improve a lot of things like teamwork, staff morale, motivation and other benefits derived from implementing the concept,” he said.
Dr Mashingaidze said they were in the process of constructing a double-storey building that will give wards, theatre and Intensive Care Unit space.
“We had aimed to have completed it by now, but there has been delays in disbursement of the funds to construct the building. “We hope we will be able to implement and complete the building in the next financial year,” he said.
New Ziana
