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FOR the past four years, Government has been disbursing millions of dollars to local authorities through the devolution programme for infrastructural development in line with Vision 2030 which seeks to create an upper middle income economy in the next eight years.
The programme has helped local authorities to boost health service delivery, particularly in Manicaland Province’s rural areas.
Before the intervention, most rural communities had a limited number of health facilities that were understaffed and under-resourced, with those seeking medical services having to travel long distances to access services.
As a result, the infant mortality rate was quite high as most women would give birth at home or on their way to health facilities.
In adults, there were also many deaths that could have been prevented with access to emergency health services.
Fortunately, this is now a thing of the past as a number of Manicaland clinics and hospitals have been built, upgraded and equipped to offer better health care in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3 which seeks to ensure health and well-being for all.
By working towards achieving this goal, other aspects of development — such as education, work, gender equality, peace and justice — will indeed be positively impacted.
Considering that the healthcare sector impacts most people at some point in their life, it is closely linked to the development of any country.
As such, healthcare systems form a key part of governments strategies across the world, and the level of expenditure in the health industry has been increasing over the last few years, especially following the advent of HIV and recently Covid-19.
These investments are justified and were long overdue because good health is a critical enabler of development.
This is so because access to health care impacts a person’s overall physical, social, mental health status and quality of life.
To that end, the progress made in chasing this goal is impressive.
In Manicaland, Makoni Rural District Council used devolution funds to construct Nzvimbe Clinic and opened it to the public last year.
Before its construction, more than 13 000 villagers were being forced to travel an average of about 30km to access health services.
In Buhera, more than 10 000 villagers are now benefiting from Mbundire Clinic, which was also constructed using devolution funds.
Chimanimani Rural District Clinic upgraded Mhakwe Clinic and constructed Hotsprings Clinic to help ease the pressure on tens of thousands of villagers who are now relying on the health facilities for services.
All these projects, among many others that are outlined elsewhere in this paper, are crucial because access to comprehensive, quality health care services is important in promoting and maintaining health.
It also helps in preventing and managing disease, reducing unnecessary disability and premature death, as well as achieving health equity for all Zimbabweans.
This is further cemented by Government policy on provision of free-of-charge health services for pregnant and lactating mothers, children under five and those aged 60 years and over.
Over the last decade or so, it is encouraging to note that there has been a slight increase in the number of people reporting at the country’s public health facilities for routine care and immunisations as the majority’s health seeking behaviour improves.
Routine screenings for chronic diseases are particularly important to ensure that they are diagnosed and treated early, while immunisations prevent severe illness and safeguard against the vaccine-preventable diseases.
While more clinics and hospitals are still required across the province, the most important thing is that the journey has begun, and we are heading in the right direction.
Brick upon brick, clinic after clinic, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo.
Online Reporter