THE Ministry of Health and Child Care together with UNICEF embarked on a provincial field tour in Mashonaland Central visiting district clinics and hospitals to assess challenges and opportunities obtaining in the country’s health institutions.
By Patson Gumbo
Visiting UNICEF Global Director of Health from UNICEF New York, USA, Dr. Aboubacar Kampo expressed satisfaction with the progress that the government of Zimbabwe has made in providing health service and was grateful for the partnership between the two parties. Dr. Kampo affirmed continued support to the government of Zimbabwe.
I have been moving around and seeing some of the facilities and I’m very pleased with the progress which Zimbabwe has made in terms of providing health services to the entire population. It is not perfect but Zimbabwe can be proud of the achievements made. We have a fully functional health system in particular primary health care.
There are still challenges, still a long way to go but from our experience in looking around I do want to believe that the willingness of providing health care to the populations by the government of Zimbabwe is there and we as a privileged joint partner to the government will be continuing supporting the government of Zimbabwe in their strive of making health care better for the population,” said Dr. Kampo.
UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe, Dr. Tajudeen Oyawale said even though they are challenges faced, it’s always important looking at things from a positive angle, how impressive the community health workers are working together with the clinics.
“As UNICEF we are very proud of working with the government of Zimbabwe and we are very grateful of the opportunity to go around Mashonaland Central to see the different facilities, to see how the community health workers have rallied around integrated services. It is very encouraging to see how the clinics linked up to the community systems and how the community health committees are working together.
For me personally as the UNICEF here in Zimbabwe I believe that the investment in health is yielding results. Going forward the new health sector development strategy is defining the pathway for all of us led by the government, supported by us and donors. I’m very positive that together we will use this new strategy that the government is leading on to evolve the health system in Zimbabwe to another level and I’m really looking forward to continuing our partnership with the government and the people of Zimbabwe,” Dr. Oyawale said.
Provincial Medical Director for Mashonaland Central, Dr. Clemence Chuma was grateful to the partnership with UNICEF as they had managed to achieve some targets despite the challenges that they are facing in some hospitals within the province.
“We are happy about the progress that has taken place at the provincial hospital, we were having big challenges in making sure our theatre is functional and with the assistance from UNICEF we then managed to complete the theatre and now it is functional. I think the collaboration of the different partners and the Ministry has made things work for the community,” said Dr. Chuma.
The tour saw the team from ministry and UNICEF visit Bindura Provincial Hospital, Chitse Rural Health Centre, Chakonda-Bushu Clinic and Shamva District Hospital, meeting the staff as well as village health workers and other community groups, and being given an update on the different activities undertaken at these health institutions.
