Bulawayo, (New Ziana) — Zimbabwe’s health sector has made significant progress, with the country’s health system demonstrating resilience in responding to major diseases, outbreaks and other public health threats, a Cabinet minister has said.
Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora said this on Wednesday while officiating at the Ministry’s Review and Strategic Planning meeting in the second largest city.
“We must also acknowledge that Zimbabwe’s health sector has made significant progress. Our health system has demonstrated resilience in responding to HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, outbreaks and other public health threats,” he said.
He highlighted progress in expanding diagnostic capacity, emergency preparedness, digital health initiatives, health infrastructure and specialised services.
Dr Mombeshora noted that the establishment of the Public Health Intelligence Unit would strengthen disease surveillance, early detection, risk assessment and the coordinated response to emerging health threats.
“PHIZ will therefore be an important component of a stronger, more agile and resilient public health system,” he explained.
The Minister also pointed to advances in specialised medical care, including radiotherapy, open-heart surgery, bone marrow and stem-cell transplantation, renal services and kidney transplantation capacity.
He stressed that investments in health infrastructure and equipment must translate into better services for citizens through functional equipment, available medicines, skilled personnel, reliable utilities and effective management.
“The ultimate measure of the investment is therefore the quality, accessibility and responsiveness of the health services that our people receive,” Dr Mombeshora emphasised.
He, however, acknowledged that maternal and newborn health, medicines, diagnostics and service readiness require greater attention and targeted interventions.
The Minister also issued a strong warning against indiscipline, corruption and the abuse of public resources within the health sector, citing concerns over absenteeism, diversion of patients, unauthorised private work and the misuse of public equipment.
“Duty before personal interest. Patient before profit. Public resources for public service,” he warned.
The Minister further said credible allegations of wrongdoing, including the manipulation of procurement, referrals and supplies for private benefit, must be investigated, with appropriate action taken against offenders.
“Corruption has no place in a health system whose first responsibility is to protect life,” he noted.
On health financing, Dr Mombeshora said government was making progress in establishing the National Health Insurance (NHI), with the proposed Bill currently undergoing peer review.
“This is not simply about creating another institution or another programme. It is about building a more resilient health financing architecture for the future,” he explained.
He called on Nat Pharm to pursue partnerships that can strengthen local pharmaceutical and medical-supply production, saying the country should build greater capacity to finance, produce, procure and deliver essential health commodities.
“We should not only ask, ‘What can we procure?’ We must increasingly ask: ‘What can we produce locally, and what partnerships can help us produce it sustainably and competitively?” Dr Mombeshora noted.
New Ziana
