Bulawayo (New Ziana) —There is need for greater coordination across the health sector where officials and partners should break down institutional silos and embrace a culture of professionalism, accountability and results-driven service delivery, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said this at the close of the Ministry and partners’ strategic review and planning meeting in Bulawayo on Friday.
He said the new structure of his Ministry should promote greater collaboration across departments and institutions.
The meeting brought together government officials and various health sector partners to review progress, identify challenges and share ideas on improving the country’s health system.
Dr Mombeshora said Zimbabwe needs a unified approach to healthcare delivery to ensure that citizens received consistent and quality services regardless of where they accessed care.
“One health system, one standard of care, one commitment to the health of our people. The new health structure and programmes must help us break down silos within the ministry as well. We must work across programmes, departments and institutions rather than protecting organisational boundaries,” he said.
He also said organisational restructuring alone would not improve service delivery unless it was accompanied by a change in the way officials approached their work.
“But structure alone will not deliver results. Our work culture must also change. We need a culture of professionalism, discipline, punctuality, ownership and delivery,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora challenged managers and officials to take greater responsibility for their duties and ensure that commitments made during the strategic planning meeting were implemented.
“Managers must manage, officers must take responsibility and commitments made in this meeting must translate into action when we return to our offices,” he said.
He also urged the Ministry and its partners to ensure that available resources were used efficiently, particularly at a time when the health sector was operating under resource constraints.
“We must also make better use of the resources entrusted to us. At a time when resources are limited, there is no room for avoidable delays, waste and slowing down,” he said.
The strategic review, he said, should not end with resolutions on paper but should provide a basis for measurable improvements in health service delivery.
Dr Mombeshora also called for stronger collaboration between the government and its development and implementing partners, saying coordinated efforts were critical to strengthening the health system.
The strategic review and planning meeting provided a platform for the Ministry, government officials and partners to assess the performance of the health sector, identify gaps and agree on priorities for the period ahead.
New Ziana
