The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu Senior Reporter
THE Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Paul Chimedza, was last week left stranded after he found a major government hospital deserted when he wanted to conduct a tour.Dr Chimedza, who was touring hospitals in Bulawayo, Gweru and Kwekwe to assess the situation following the strike by doctors, was shocked to find no officials at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
The chief executive officer, Mrs Nonhlanhla Moyo; the clinical director, Dr Narcisaus Dzvanga and other senior officials were nowhere in sight when the deputy minister wanted to conduct a tour last Friday afternoon.
One lady, who was in the office, tried to contact the hospital’s top brass who were not available, leaving the minister to question her on whether the hospital officials were aware of his visit.
“Did they not know I was coming for a visit today? Where are they?” he asked.
The operations director, Mr Elliot Mashingaidze, came to the rescue as he arrived at the hospital as Dr Chimedza was leaving the offices and conducted a two-man tour with the seemingly annoyed deputy minister.
It is not clear where the officials including the public relations officer, Matron Nobuhle Taka, were at the time the deputy minister wanted to tour the hospital to assess the impact of the ongoing doctor’s strike.
Earlier in the day, Dr Chimedza had a successful tour of Mpilo Central Hospital where he was met by the CEO, operations director, public relations officer, clinical director and other senior staff.
He said the situation was not very bad as the available staff was doing their best to attend to patients.
“The situation at Mpilo is manageable here, patients that would normally come here are not coming and the city council doctors are helping the people so only the critical cases are being attended to here,” he said.
“We would love to have our doctors here and the Bipartite Negotiating Forum for all health professionals is looking at how to restore the situation but the Government is working on a very tight fiscal budget, the money is just not there and that is the truth of the matter.”
Dr Chimedza said deaths were lower at the institution as the few patients there were well taken care of with emergency referral cases being given first preference. The Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe National Army and the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services were commended for their assistance to Mpilo Hospital.
“We appreciate the work they are doing together with other health professionals who are assisting. Nurses are doing more work than they should be doing such as discharging patients and we are grateful for that,” added Dr Chimedza.
At the deserted UBH, the minister visited the casualty, maternity, intensive care unit and other departments where he concluded that the situation was manageable.
The only pathologist in the city, Dr Sanganai Pesanai, was manning the casualty department with the help of nursing staff as other doctors were not there.
