By Michael Gwarisa
Zimbabwe is grappling with a critical shortage of forensic pathologists, a crisis that has forced families to transport bodies across provinces for post-mortem examinations and delayed justice in criminal cases.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora told Parliament this week that until recently, the country had only one qualified forensic pathologist, making it nearly impossible to conduct timely examinations across the nation.
Forensic post-mortems require specialised expertise beyond the training of general pathologists. Unfortunately, we only had one forensic pathologist in the country. This created immense challenges, especially for district hospitals where there is no specialised equipment,” Dr. Mombeshora revealed.
As a result, families were required to transport bodies to Harare or Bulawayo, where the few facilities equipped for forensic pathology are located. This has not only delayed burials but also imposed heavy financial and emotional costs on grieving relatives.
In an effort to close the gap, Government has recruited three forensic pathologists from Cuba, who officially began work on October 1, 2025. The new specialists will be deployed to provincial hospitals with the necessary mortuary and pathology infrastructure, reducing the pressure on Harare and Bulawayo facilities.
“With these new experts, we expect forensic post-mortems to be carried out closer to where cases arise. This will ease the burden on families and allow investigations to proceed more quickly,” Dr. Mombeshora said.
Hon. Karenyi Kore raised concerns about the high cost of transporting bodies and the lengthy delays that some families endure.
“In rural areas, families can wait up to three months for a post-mortem. Given the cost of living, this is unbearable. How will the Ministry ensure decentralisation so that services reach the people?” she asked.
Dr. Mombeshora acknowledged the concerns, stressing that decentralisation was a top priority. He explained that new equipment was being procured to strengthen provincial mortuaries so that more post-mortems can be carried out outside the capital.
Lawmakers also questioned why Zimbabwe has only a handful of forensic pathologists more than four decades after independence. The Minister blamed brain drain and limited interest among local doctors.
“At one stage we had more than three specialists, but they left. Few doctors have chosen to specialise in forensic pathology. With the Cuban experts, we will also start setting up local training. However, this takes about four years, so the benefits will only be felt in the long term,” he said.
Hon. Bonda pressed Government to improve salaries and incentives to attract and retain local specialists. Dr. Mombeshora confirmed that the Health Service Commission is working on a package of incentives, including better pay and allowances for doctors outside metropolitan areas.
“This is the path we want to take. We cannot continue depending on expatriates. We must train and retain our own experts,” he said.
