The Sunday News
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Beitbridge West legislator, Honourable Ruth Maboyi has appealed to Treasury to deploy more ambulances to the area.
The parliamentarian said the state of affairs in the area was disheartening considering that one ambulance has to service a local population of 250 000 people and 13 000 others in transit daily.
She made the appeal to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Professor Mthuli Ncube on his recent visit to Beitbridge Border Post.
Hon Maboyi said the area was also in need of more rural health centres to service the ever-growing population.
“As local leaders we are worried with the state of affairs at the main referral hospital and the rural health centres,” she said.
“These are relying on one ambulance which has to travel for three hours or more to the furthest part of the district.
“In addition, the novel coronavirus pandemic has made life difficult for the people from this region who can no longer travel to South Africa where they used to buy medication.
“Though we have several rural health centres these are without adequate resources including drugs to service the Beitbridge community. I appeal to the Government through you as the Minister of Finance to look into our plight.”
The legislator said some clinics needed electrification and communication facilities.
Hon Maboyi said the situation has been made worse by thieves who are targeting solar panels at key institutions, among them schools and clinics.
In some instances, health officials have to store drugs at the district hospital where there is electricity and this often presents a logistics nightmare during emergencies.
“The high level of illegal movement of people along the Limpopo River is detrimental to national efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I encourage the ministry of finance to consider capacitating security, customs and immigration authorities to fight crime along the borders,” said the legislator.
She added that there was a need to do mass testing of those people living along the border line, most of whom are exposed to border jumpers and smuggler
