By Johannes Marisa
QUALITY health delivery service requires collaboration.
In 2007, the World Health Organisation proposed a framework describing health systems in terms of six core components or building blocks.
These components are the availability of good service delivery, health workforce, health information systems, access to essential medicines, financing and leadership.
Much has been said in our country pertaining the desire to deliver a robust healthcare to the masses. With COVID-19 always threatening to strike further, it is thus prudent that we keep ourselves ready for action so that we are not caught unawares as a nation.
While Europe continues to be hit by COVID-19 left, right and centre, the situation in Africa is a little better despite the little resources available.
The public health measures that were introduced by authorities paid off with a halt on both morbidity and mortality.
Health stakeholders in Zimbabwe include all those who are involved in health service delivery.
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These include policymakers, health practitioners, city councils, medical aid societies, the donor community, community leaders who, therefore, should come together for the benefit of the nation at large.
It is a fact that there has been a lot of dissension among the stakeholders due to differences which have often threatened the viability of the health sector. Surprisingly, some of the contentious issues are easy to resolve. They only need minimal co-operation in order to move ahead. Being difficult does not help matters when dealing with issues, particularly important ones.
The following matters have been of concern among stakeholders and it is my prayer that solutions will be found if the country is to make great strides in healthcare delivery:
Service providers/medical aid societies feud
The friction between service providers and medical aid societies should be resolved if many people are to access healthcare.
There are patients that have been denied medical care simply because their health insurers do not want to honour claims from service providers.
Some medical aid societies have gone for more than six months without paying a single dollar in this COVID-19 era.
Service providers have been left without any option except to demand cash or shortfall upfront, thus putting more misery on patients.
Members of medical aid societies should enquire with service providers on when medical aid societies last paid them.
Harare City Council/private practitioners food handlers feud
There has been acrimony from private practitioners about the way the city health department has handled the issue of food handlers’ certification.
Council has claimed that many private practitioners have a tendency of making claims without examining patients, which has been denied by doctors.
Council has refused to release medical certificate forms and its officials have gone around restaurants and supermarkets threatening that anyone who has a certificate not signed by council medical practitioners will be arrested.
This is very unfair and it ridicules the profession as according to the Public Health Act, such certification can be done by any registered medical practitioner.
Engaging city council has not yielded results, according to Cletos Masiya who has tried in vain to have the issue resolved.
Health service delivery needs collaboration, hence imposing punitive measures on colleagues is not only barbarous but also discourteous.
Councils/residents feud
Generally, there has been an uproar about the rates that many councils are charging. In Masvingo, council increased its tariffs by significant margins, which may see most people’s salaries being gobbled by rates alone.
Masvingo Provincial Affairs minister Ezra Chadzamira had to raise the red flag over the issue saying very few people will afford such exorbitant rates.
Harare City Council has done the same and while everyone appreciates that inflation has been on the rise, pegging the rates against the US dollar yet salaries are not paid in the same currency, is not only sadistic but an act of sabotage.
Many people have complained about poor service delivery which has been attributed to maladministration. Some departments are overstaffed resulting in duplication of roles, thus culminating in salaries consuming more than half of the collected revenue, leaving very little resources for service delivery.
Government/employee feud
The acrimony between government and its employees has been ongoing for some time and that has seen prolonged strikes. Employees complain of poor salaries, lack of incentives, and lack of personal protective equipment in this COVID-19 era.
Many health workers have left the country for greener pastures and it is imperative that working conditions for such critical staff be improved if the nation is to achieve health for all by 2030.
The donor community should assist in order to sustain the health sector. Government should try to retain health staff through incentivisation so that quality health delivery is guaranteed.
