The Star Late Edition

Zim needs new government to fix its health

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IT WAS dishearten­ing to watch paediatric­s head at Parirenyat­wa Hospital (Zimbabwe) Dr Azza Mashumba break down while explaining the terrible situation at the hospital to the minister of health.

Parirenyat­wa has no bandages, no Betadine, no painkiller­s, no gloves. ICU machines are broken while ministers are getting three cars each. It’s easy to fly Grace Mugabe, VP Constantin­o Chiwenga and President Emmerson Mnangagwa in luxurious planes than buy syringes for hospitals.

The Zimbabwean government can adequately fund its health sector but Zanu-PF’s priorities are not on health, infrastruc­ture developmen­t, education and other basic human services. The Zanu-PF priorities are on politics and self-enrichment through power retention. Life is a privilege and not a right under the Mnangagwa government. No humanity is valued at all.

The problem in Zimbabwe is that Zanu-PF has misplaced its priorities. If you look at how much has been spent on foreign medical trips you will realise that they could have bought all those items required by the doctors. Zimbabwe has ruthless leaders who fly abroad for their medical issues, costing the country millions, and care less about their own people.

Zanu-PF is taking us for a ride. Unless the people say enough is enough and hold the government to account more people are going to die.

We need a policy that forbids leaders from seeking medical attention abroad or sending their children to foreign colleges. If you depend on it, you’ll fix it.

Unfortunat­ely, policies are pointless in Zimbabwe, this hopeless and criminal government won’t even align existing laws to the constituti­on because it knows it will lose power.

We need a change of government.

BIGBOY SIBANDA | London

 ??  ?? ZIMBABWE president Emmerson Mnangagwa at a news conference at State House in Harare. | Philimon Bulawayo Reuters African News Agency (ANA)
ZIMBABWE president Emmerson Mnangagwa at a news conference at State House in Harare. | Philimon Bulawayo Reuters African News Agency (ANA)

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