Umamah Bakharia 

Zimbabwean opposition party – Citizens Coalition for Change – CCC are demanding that the Zimbabwean government address the nation on what it intends to do about the poor state of the country’s hospitals.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, Zimbabwe’s former health minister and CCC health point person, Dr Henry Madzorera says they agree that Zimbabweans are becoming a burden to South Africa. 

“Unfortunately, health care is extremely important it cannot be lumped together with other problems so when we [saw] the MEC of Limpopo complaining of the burden of Zimbabweans in South Africa, she is justified to complain, we may disagree with the way she complained,” says Dr Madzorera.

This comes following a viral video showing Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba berating a Zimbabwean national seeking medical attention at hospital in Bela Bela, Limpopo. Ramathuba has since stood by her stance that foreign nationals are burdening South African hospitals.

Commenting on Zimbabwe’s health care system, the former health minister says he does not believe health care in Zimbabwe will improve in the near future.

“Unfortunately, its not recovering at the moment and I don’t think the system that has caused the problem can solve the problems of our healthcare system, its suffering from all the pillars of [the system], the financing is bad, there’s no political wheel to fix it,” he says.

Currently, Zimbabwe is facing a shortage of medication, staff and the tools to perform surgeries. Therefore, the CCC is demanding that government address the lack of resources in the health sector.

“We cant have a country where the central hospitals are closed because of lack of resources, we demand that the government does say something and fix the problem,” says Dr Madzorera.

He adds that despite bordering of nations, we should treat each other with dignity.

“Today I help you, tomorrow you help me, we don’t know what tomorrow holds for us so I quite agree with those in South Africa and I’m glad that [there’s a] population that says ‘no, lets not ill treat anyone, healthcare is a basic necessity its like lights and water, lets give them the health care they need’,” he says.

Adding that South Africa should have spoken to the administration in Zimbabwe so that the ruling government can be held accountable.