BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
THE government has set up an inter-ministerial committee to look into the brain drain in the health sector following a sharp rise in the number of health professionals leaving the country for greener pastures.
Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa yesterday said Cabinet had approved the report of the inter-ministerial committee on stemming the brain drain in the health sector and several causes were identified.
Mutsvangwa said the ministerial committee identified measures to accelerate provision of non-monetary incentives such as staff accommodation, transport, vehicle loans, provision of meals and Wi-Fi facilities.
“Cabinet wishes to inform the public that the inter-ministerial committee identified the causes of the brain in the health sector,” Mutsvangwa said.
“To stem the brain drain, a committee was, therefore, set up to look holistically into the issues of mechanisms to accelerate provision of non-monetary incentives, such as staff accommodation, transport, vehicle loans, canteens or cafeterias, and Wi-Fi facilities connectivity.
The Cabinet said it would improve the remuneration of tutors in nurse training schools and embark on a serious adjustment of monetary benefits as well as addressing the disparities in the incentives between the urban and rural health personnel.
Mutsvangwa said they continued to pursue bilateral agreements with several countries for health professionals within the World Health Organisation framework.
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She said Cabinet also advised on the infrastructure component that included repairing of roads, street lights along major roads and the introduction of dedicated bus lanes and carriageway markings.
Cabinet also advised that designs for the Mbudzi interchange was 75% complete and detour roads have been identified, namely, Chimhanda, Stoneridge, Amalinda and Forbes roads.
Cabinet also said there would be joint operations between the Zimbabwe Republic Police and municipal police officers on an operation to remove illegal taxis. It also said it would criminalise vending on intersections.
The minister said deterrent fines would be introduced for touting.
Cabinet also advised that 866 schools were connected to the internet free of charge across the country, a total of 79 schools had received information communication technology (ICT) equipment, while the renovation of the targeted 100 ICT laboratories and internet connectivity was on-going under the ICT per school project. She said 30 community information centres were also established.
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