PRIVATE public partnerships (PPPs) between the government and independent healthcare providers are complimenting government efforts as relations between the two continue strengthening.
While speaking to reporters on a tour of the Trauma Centre in Borrowdale, the medical institution’s chief executive officer Vivek Solanki said PPPs are a key component for the government’s drive in contributing towards managing the health sector.
“PPPs are the only way to go, where the private sector works together with the State sector. We have shown this in many instances. The first one, I can give you an example, was during the COVID-19 period,” Solanki said.
“We set up a COVID-19 training facility. The municipality couldn’t cope with that, so we then set up our own unit, and we trained over 3300 healthcare workers nationwide.
“We did not charge for that. It was our public service over a period of two years, where we trained all the people on how to handle disinfection and infection controls for the COVID cases.”
Solanki said they are also partnering with the government in a number of initiatives.
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“We also do a lot of public-private projects, in the sense that for cardiac cases, those who need, those from the State hospitals who need angiography, we are able to provide angiography services for them, because there is no other angiography services available.
“We also collaborate with the Open Heart Program at Parirenyatwa Hospital. We collaborate with the exchange of personnel, equipment, and expertise.
“Ongoing, we are in negotiations with the Ministry of Health to provide a PPP in the radiology sector, and also in improving the wards, laboratories, and pharmacy in the State sector in collaboration with the private sector.”
Also speaking during the tour, Health ministry director for communications Donald Mujiri said the progress realised through the PPPs was encouraging.
“This collaboration is strengthening the delivery of specialised services, including open-heart surgery, dialysis and the growth of medical tourism and demonstrates the transformative power of shared expertise, strategic investment, and a unified national vision,” he said.
“Importantly, these advancements contribute directly to the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2 and the attainment of Vision 2030 by expanding equitable access to high-quality, life-saving healthcare for all Zimbabweans.”
The institution, through its services, is encouraging inbound medical tourism where patients from around the region visit the country for treatment there.
PPPs are aimed at reviving public health infrastructure, improving service, reducing out-of-pocket expenses for patients, and bringing in technical expertise to the health sector.
