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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Health Reporter
GOVERNMENT has given Bulawayo City Council (BCC) the green light to recruit 500 healthcare workers to be deployed at the city’s 19 clinics which have been hit by an exodus of critical health personnel.

BCC is now engaging contract health workers to man its clinics as the local authority struggles to retain nurses who continue to resign en masse further crippling the city’s health delivery system.

Last year, city health director Dr Edwin Sibanda revealed their clinics were operating with staffing levels of between 52 and 62 percent. Council requires a staff complement of 186 nursing staff to operate at full capacity and presently, there are 87 nurses.

Bulawayo City Council (BCC)

Contract health workers are being engaged by the council for a short period of time as a stop-gap measure since they would be employed elsewhere.

According to the latest council minutes, some of the health personnel that BCC intends to recruit include dentists and nurses.

Pelandaba Clinic is the only council-run health facility offering dental services. There were no dental services during the month of February as the only exodontist who specialises in the extraction of teeth was on annual leave.

Councillors noted with concern that residents are spending long hours queueing in clinics to access healthcare due to a critical staff shortage.

In January, there were 303 deliveries recorded at the council’s five maternity centres, while 26 home births were recorded in the city.

A total of 4 295 women attended antenatal care visits.

In February the number of deliveries went down to 290, home deliveries increased to 34 while a total of 4 040 women were seen during antenatal care visits.

Ward 29 Councillor Alderman Monica Lubimbi said the situation had become dire at Magwegwe Clinic.

“Residents spent a lot of time trying to access health care. Other residents in wards 18 and 29 preferred to go to other clinics located in other suburbs,” she said.

Responding to questions raised during the meeting, the town clerk, Mr Christopher Dube said plans are underway to address the problems following the approval by Government to recruit more health workers.

Pelandaba clinic

“Council will soon be recruiting dentists and other health workers to alleviate the situation as the parent ministry had authorised the recruitment of 500 staff members. Emakhandeni and Nkulumane Clinics have been earmarked for extended dental care services to decentralise the service to other suburbs,” he said.

In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo deputy mayor Councillor Mlandu Ncube said following the approval recruitment is underway.

“We had serious concerns pertaining to the long hours spent by residents seeking health services from our clinics due to staff shortages. We are happy that we have been given the green light to recruit 500 workers to address the problem,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Mlandu Ncube

“Our residents were being short-changed and the situation had reached alarming levels such that some had to walk extra kilometres to nearby clinics to access healthcare”

Clr Ncube said there is also a general feeling that residents should be able to access dental services from other clinics besides Pelandaba Clinic, the only facility providing such services.

“Now that we have the approval from Government and council, recruitment is ongoing and I am positive that by the end of April this year, the situation will have improved,” he said. — @thamamoe