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Hatred Zenenga in NEW YORK, USA

ZIMBABWE continues to pursue rigorous human resources development by training more personnel to plug gaps created in the health sector due to brain drain, President Mnangagwa has said.

For years, Zimbabwe has lost experienced health personnel mostly to the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States.

Addressing a high-level meeting on progress towards universal coverage during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, the President said Zimbabwe remained committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

President Mnangagwa noted that in this digital age, the country had implemented an integrated health management system, while bottlenecks were being addressed through continuous training programmes. 

This, he said, was in line with Zimbabwe’s new Comprehensive Health Sector Strategy.

“We are modernising our health infrastructure by availing state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose health facilities with appropriate diagnostic and treatment equipment.

“My Government has scaled up research and development oriented innovation hubs to foster localised diagnostic and treatment solutions,” President Mnangagwa said. 

Zimbabwe has a free user policy for all primary care services, said the President, and a free package of services is provided at clinics across the country. 

Further, Zimbabwe is strengthening its community health centres systems by building healthcare centres in every village to enable the early screening and detection of diseases.

President Mnangagwa said concerted efforts were being made to address non-communicable diseases through an integrated care delivery strategy focused on alleviating the burden among vulnerable children and young adults, by increasing the accessibility and quality of chronic care services.

His administration was rolling out state-of-the-art community health centres such as the one in Stoneridge, Harare Province, which has a capacity of 22 beds. 

It has an outpatient, maternity, ART and inpatient facilities.

The President commissioned the health centre in May last year.

It is among 30 clinics being constructed across the country by the Second Republic led by President Mnangagwa. 

Apart from the Stoneridge Health Centre, Cowdray Park Health Centre in Bulawayo was commissioned by the President on August 2 this year.

In the Midlands Province, Mberengwa’s 20-bed Mataga Mini Hospital has also been completed, and offers maternity, laboratory, dispensary, counselling and male and female paediatric services.

The other health facility is Runyararo, which is in Chimanimani.

The health centres are being constructed by the Government in conjunction with NMSI of the United Kingdom.