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Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
SOME health institutions in the Midlands Province are allegedly forcing elderly people, children under the age of five years and pregnant women to pay for medical services in violation of a Government directive.

In his welcome remarks during First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa tour of Gweru Provincial Hospital yesterday, the Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs Cde Owen Ncube said under the new political dispensation, Government has made it clear that people over 65 years, children under the age of five years and pregnant woman are exempt from paying fees to access health services.

“It is disappointing to report that some of the health institutions in the province are not complying with Government’s free user directive for children aged five years and below, those aged 65 years and above and pregnant mothers. In light of this, we have put in place a monitoring and evaluation system through the provincial Joint Operations Command (JOC) to closely monitor this non-adherence to policy,” said Cde Ncube.

He urged Government to lift the freeze on vacant posts in the health sector saying some institutions were facing staff shortages.

The Minister said the new medical equipment procured by Government for public health institutions such as cervical cancer screening equipment should see hospitals offering better services.

“Some of the equipment is not being fully utilised as vacant posts have been frozen. There is a need to increase staff at hospitals as the establishments are not in conformity with the diseases burden,” said Cde Ncube.

Amai Mnangagwa was touring the hospital on a cancer screening programme.

The First Lady donated an assortment of foodstuffs at the hospital.

She urged women and men to go for cancer screening before it is too late.

“Fathers and mothers, girls and boys, we are dying because of this silent killer. Cancer is a silent killer and we should all go for screening early so that if it is detected you get treated.

“Cancer knows no age and it knows no race but it can be treated if detected early,” she said.

The First Lady is moving with a state -of-the-art mobile clinic from the ministry which is used for cancer screening.