Legislators have blamed the deteriorating health service delivery system in the country on corruption, citing that the money being siphoned out could be used to purchase medical supplies for the next two years.
Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, Kambuzuma Member of Parliament Willias Madzimure urged ministers and government officials to desist from continuously looting government coffers.
Madzimure urged the government officials to be transparent and accountable with the national resources they are entrusted with.
He said there are medical supplies that have been paid for but have not been delivered.
“We have Ministers who are now in the dock on issues of corruption. If the amounts were to be shared amongst Members of Parliament to disburse in their constituency clinics, we would have enough medical supplies for the next two years, simply from one case of corruption,” said Madzimure.
“We must make sure we’re accountable and we do not steal national resources. Madam Speaker, we abuse national resources. We have paid for drugs that have never been delivered. We have paid for hospitals that have never been built.”
Madzimure chided government officials for misrepresenting facts at international platforms with regards to the health services status in the country.
“President Mnangagwa is said to have promised 6000 clinics in five years. That is exactly why the Executive would not want Members of Parliament to be part of their delegation to the UN because they go there to misrepresent facts. Zimbabwe cannot build even 20 clinics in a year –You cannot.
“6000 divided by five, you are saying you can do more than 1000 clinics a year in Zimbabwe. Where is the budget? There is no budget to back up the claim that we can do 6000 clinics in five years. Zimbabwe must be realistic Madam Speaker so that if we want assistance, we then get it,” said Madzimure.
“In addition to the 6000 clinics,” he added “we must have medical staff to man the clinics. Right now, our doctors are on strike and they have been on strike for the past two weeks. Nothing is happening. There are no talks going on between the Government and the doctors. To add salt to the wound, the doctor who was elected by his fellow doctors to head them was actually abducted and tortured.”
