Online Reporter
Remember Deketeke
Herald Correspondent
Government plans to establish at least one fully equipped hospital in every district across Zimbabwe, as part of sweeping reforms aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, reducing pressure on referral institutions and improving access to quality services, particularly in underserved rural communities.
The initiative is a key pillar of the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), Government’s medium-term development programme for 2026–2030, which was launched last year and places health at the centre of national socio-economic transformation.
“The Government has rolled out a comprehensive plan to establish at least one fully equipped hospital in every district across Zimbabwe — a development aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, reducing pressure on central hospitals and improving access to quality services, particularly in rural and underserved communities,” reads the NDS2 document.
The strategy outlines that, over the coming years, authorities will prioritise the construction of new district hospitals and rural health centres while upgrading and modernising existing facilities.
“Over the next years, authorities will facilitate the construction of new district hospitals and rural health centres through the National Medical Services (NMS) Infrastructure Programme, while also funding the upgrading and modernisation of existing facilities,” the document states.
To back the programme, the Ministry of Health and Child Care was allocated ZiG30,4 billion in 2026, representing 15 percent of the National Budget, in line with the Abuja Declaration, which commits African countries to devote at least 15 percent of national expenditure to health.
Zimbabwe has thus met the continental benchmark through the 2026 fiscal framework, signalling renewed commitment to strengthening primary healthcare systems.
Zimbabwe currently has 64 administrative districts spread across 10 provinces, while its top-tier referral system comprises six central hospitals; Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Harare Central Hospital (Sally Mugabe), Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), Chitungwiza Central Hospital and Ingutsheni Hospital, which specialises in psychiatric care.
These institutions anchor the country has tiered healthcare system, supported by provincial, district and rural hospitals.
In total, Zimbabwe has 214 hospitals, comprising 120 Government hospitals, 66 mission hospitals and 32 private institutions, highlighting both the breadth of the network and the scale of infrastructure investment required to achieve universal health coverage.
The NDS2 clearly defines what constitutes a fully equipped district hospital.
“A fully equipped district hospital, as outlined in NDS2, will be capable of providing comprehensive secondary healthcare services, including diagnostic imaging such as X-rays and CT scans, well-resourced laboratories, intensive care units (ICUs), modern medical equipment and digital health technologies,” reads the document.
“This will enable patients to receive timely diagnosis and treatment closer to their communities, reducing costly and often delayed referrals to central hospitals.”
Health is identified in NDS2 as a core pillar of social development to be strengthened over the next five years.
Under the strategy’s priorities, Government commits to enhancing universal access to quality health, education and other social services, as part of broader efforts to improve the wellbeing of Zimbabweans.
The programme would not be limited to infrastructural development alone, but would also focus on increasing the capacity of health workers, ensuring that district facilities are adequately staffed and resourced to deliver a broader range of essential services.
By 2030, Government aims to have doubled the current health workforce, creating and sustaining at least 32 000 additional public health jobs, a move expected not only to strengthen hospitals and clinics, but also to inject life into local economies.
According to the Health Service Commission (HSC), this growth could stimulate more than 100 000 jobs across related services and supply chains, from pharmaceuticals and transport to equipment maintenance and catering.
Fully implemented, the district hospital expansion and modernisation programme is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening Zimbabwe’s healthcare delivery system, improving equity in access to services and advancing Government’s long-term development objectives under NDS2.
Charles Duri