SENIOR Zanu PF official and former Midlands Provincial governor Cephas Msipa has chided his peers in government and the ruling party for seeking medical treatment outside the country and snubbing local health personnel whom he said “are just as good as anywhere else”. EDGAR GWESHE Own Correspondent Msipa made the remarks at the commissioning of a refurbished casualty ward at Gweru Provincial Hospital last Thursday.
“I have been to the hospital myself and I was really surprised by the treatment that I received and I asked myself if people really have to go outside for treatment. Our young people here are really trained and we have specialists in various fields.
“They looked after me very well and I am here because of the great work that they did,” Msipa said.
He said Zimbabweans should take pride in their “well-trained” health personnel but, however, admitted that the health sector was facing some challenges that required to be addressed urgently.
“We must be proud of our medical people here in Zimbabwe. They are just as good as anybody else and all they need is the equipment to enable them to do their work. When I fell sick, some people advised me to go to India, but I said that I would seek treatment here. These people are just as good as anywhere else,” Msipa added.
President Robert Mugabe and several other top government officials, among them Presidential Affairs minister and Zanu PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa and former Lands minister Herbert Murerwa, have often been flown out of the country for medication in Asia, India and South Africa.
Mugabe, who turned 90 this year and is said to be battling failing health, has been to Singapore twice this year for medical reasons.
The Zanu PF leader has been largely criticised for presiding over the collapse of the economy and health sector in particular.
