BY RUTENDO MATANHIKE
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has said government will continue striving to make health services affordable and accessible as it resuscitates the health sector.
Speaking during the handover of medical equipment and surgical sundries sourced from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the Health ministry at NatPharm yesterday, Mnangagwa said the donation would relieve the recently commissioned equipment from overuse.
“This donation follows a request I made to the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during my visit there sometime early this year. The consignment consists of medical equipment and surgical sundries which will enable us to reach our goal of universal health coverage, leaving no one behind,” he said.
He said the UAE would continually assist the country with provisions of healthcare equipment for the next six months.
“You have heard from the ambassador of the UAE that they have (committed) to provide the requirements which the Ministry of Health and Child Care has said they needed for central hospitals for the next six months,” said Mnangagwa.
The President also said there were plans to establish a pharmaceutical plant in Zimbabwe by the crown prince of the UAE.
“I am also happy that the crown prince of the UAE is willing to establish a pharmaceutical plant in Zimbabwe in order to manufacture drugs which we want. We as a government shall accelerate reforms in the health delivery system, expand the range of the health care services as well as improve affordability and accessibility of medicines and pharmaceutical supplies.
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“The improvement of quality healthcare for all shall also be prioritised so that quality healthcare is accessible to all Zimbabweans in urban and rural areas,” Mnangagwa said.
The donation is expected to help improve health service delivery to all citizens at a time Zimbabwe’s healthcare system was deteriorating.
The consignment consisted of a dialysis machines, baby incubators, anaesthetic machines, endotracheal tubes, guedel airway buretrol intravenous infusion sets, balloon catheters, vaginal speculum with screw disposables, suction catheters, and nasal oxygen cannula and oxygen musk.
