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Noting the lack of modern medical equipment and the challenges that the shortage poses in terms of public access to reliable healthcare services, the Government routinely provides the tools.

The deep sanctions-induced economic challenges of the first decade of the early 2000s made it impossible for the economy mobilise enough resources to be able to equip the health services sector.  As a result, some public hospitals had to do without critical tools including ambulances, X-ray machines and even “minor” things like pain killers.

The clinics and hospitals would then refer patients to the private sector, whose services are, unfortunately, quite costly.

Recently, we celebrated the commissioning of a magnetic resonance imagining machine at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.

At the weekend, Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Douglas Mombeshora, told us that the Government has procured new medical equipment to boost the quality of services in the Midlands Province.

The equipment includes new ambulances, anaesthetic and X-ray machines, as well as utility motor vehicles meant to strengthen the referral system and reduce health inequalities.

“We have given them an anaesthetic machine to be used at Mvuma District Hospital. We have given the province two ambulances to be deployed by the provincial medical director where necessary,” said Dr Mombeshora.

“We have also given them an X-ray machine to help with diagnosis and it will be deployed where they see fit since they asked for it.  We have promised to deliver three more utility vehicles, and we have already given them five vehicles and soon the vehicles will be delivered to the province.”

In addition to buying and distributing medical equipment, the Government is building dozens of clinics and hospitals countrywide.

One such facility is a 20-bed Mataga Mini Hospital in Mberengwa East, Midlands Province whose building is now complete.

Authorities are doing a great job by intensifying public investment in the healthcare industry, and in doing so, in the health and well-being of the people.  That improves their quality of life and ensures that they do not suffer unnecessarily.

The tools delivered, or to be delivered in the province, and elsewhere countrywide, must be deployed to the health centres that need them.  The distribution, we stress, must be fair and transparent. We do not expect to hear of any medical equipment that just disappears.

As mentioned, the public health sector, which caters for the vast majority of our people, has suffered a great deal of low investment which makes some of its services inaccessible.

We are encouraged that much work is being done to mobilise resources to buy critical equipment, which is now being distributed to health centres nationwide.

We, however, will not be carried away with the Mpilo and Midlands deliveries because the country has, for some time, struggled to invest in the sector due to the difficult economic situation. Because of that, we ask for an intensification of the programme to re-equip and stock health centres with medicines.  It is a long road, but results are beginning to be visible on the ground.