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Leonard Ncube-Victoria Falls Reporter
All in the health sector should collaborate in procurement of medical consumables and equipment so as to reduce operating costs and enhance access to healthcare services, Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga said yesterday.
In a speech read by his deputy Dr John Mangwiro while opening the Private Healthcare Association of Zimbabwe (PHAZ) conference in Victoria Falls he said bulk procurement would reduce costs and so the cost of health care for many.
PHAZ expanded and rebranded from Private Hospitals of Zimbabwe, which was set up by private hospitals and clinics, and it now includes all in the private health sector including funders, medical aid organisations, manufacturers and suppliers of medical sundries.
“As a Ministry we support the association and we would like to encourage the private hospitals, as many as you are, to work as one, for example, in importing equipment which is common to you all. Let’s now work as a group and order together.
“I am sure if you organise yourselves and buy your medicines and equipment in bulk it will be faster and cheaper, and it will be easier for the ministry to support you or even to approach the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe or Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to support you in your endeavours to bring in your stuff,” he said.
Dr Chiwenga wanted PHAZ to work with local manufacturers to promote local production of medical supplies which will also reduce cost of health service. Patients would find it easy to get services under one roof.
He bemoaned loss of frontline health workers because of Covid-19 and the brain drain. Government was commitment to ensuring that health frontliners were well-equipped to be able to execute their duties and prevent cross contamination.
Current workers needed to be motivated by continuing to incentivise them with Covid-19 allowances.
Health stakeholders should embrace dialogue to solve issues affecting the medical industry in Zimbabwe, and Government neither condoned co-payments and shortfalls, but nor was it happy to impose tariff structures.
The reimbursement period had to be reduced especially with the help of current technology. The conference touched on issues of corporate governance, procurement and labour as well as the importance of embracing technology in the health sector.
Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo said there was need to take stock of the health situation in the country especially the need to develop state-of-the-art medical infrastructure. PHAZ chairman Dr Timothy Goche concurred about the need for collaboration.
“We are excited about the call for bulk buying as economies of scale will come into play. We are looking forward to getting medical commodities, surgical consumables, drugs, equipment at a lower price as we procure together and this will also have a ripple effect to our stakeholders who are the clients to access health services at a lower cost,” he said.
PHAZ was formed in 1996 and has 50 members.
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