Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter
ALL Zimbabweans will soon be entitled to free medical treatment at Government hospitals and other State-run health institutions once the proposed National Health Fund Bill becomes law, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has said.
The Bill, which is now headed for Cabinet before being tabled in Parliament, seeks to establish a national health financing mechanism funded partly through taxes collected from products such as cigarettes and alcohol, enabling citizens to access treatment at public health facilities without direct payment.
Dr Mombeshora revealed the development while responding to questions in the Senate on Thursday, where legislators sought clarification on access to newly procured cancer treatment equipment and broader efforts to improve healthcare delivery.
Masvingo Senator Robson Mavhenyengwa had asked how disadvantaged citizens would benefit from cancer treatment machines being installed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare and Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo.
He wanted to know how patients from remote areas would access the services given the costs associated with travelling to Harare and Bulawayo.
In response, Dr Mombeshora said Government was simultaneously pursuing healthcare financing reforms and decentralising specialist medical services to improve accessibility.
“We have a Government policy that those who are disadvantaged and do not have money must go to social services and get their dues paid,” he said.
“We also have the initiative which is going to come shortly to this August House. We started it as a National Health Insurance, but now we are calling it the National Health Fund Bill. We came up with the final draft last week and this week I have written a letter to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation. From there it will go to Cabinet and then Parliament.”
Dr Mombeshora said the proposed legislation would ensure that every Zimbabwean can access treatment at Government hospitals free of charge, with the health system drawing funding from specific taxes on products associated with health risks.
“In that Bill, every citizen in Zimbabwe must be able to be treated in all Government hospitals for free.
“It is not totally free because we are taking some tax from cigarettes and alcohol, which are causing harm to people, and using that money to improve our health system,” he said.
Turning to cancer care, Dr Mombeshora said efforts were underway to increase the number of specialist radio-oncologists and expand cancer treatment services beyond Harare and Bulawayo.
He said Zimbabwe had historically faced shortages of radio-oncologists, limiting the number of cancer treatment centres that could be established.
To address the challenge, the country has begun training specialists locally through the University of Zimbabwe.
Dr Mombeshora said new radiotherapy equipment had already been installed at Parirenyatwa Hospital, while installation of a second machine at Mpilo Hospital was nearing completion.
“The new machine which arrived has already been installed at Parirenyatwa. Another one is about 85 percent installed in Bulawayo,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora said the radiotherapy machine that will be replaced at Mpilo Hospital will be relocated to Gweru, marking the beginning of a broader programme to decentralise cancer treatment services.
The strategy, he said, prioritises provinces with medical training institutions so that doctors can gain practical experience using the equipment while also improving access to treatment for patients outside Harare and Bulawayo.
He added that the long-term objective is to establish cancer treatment facilities in every province.
Dr Mombeshora said plans were also advancing to establish cancer treatment infrastructure in Masvingo under a Presidential health infrastructure programme, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for treatment.
In addition, Government recently closed a tender for cancer diagnostic equipment, including CT scanners and ultrasound machines, with the aim of equipping every provincial hospital with tools needed for early cancer detection and diagnosis.
“These machines must be found in every provincial hospital. We are also installing machines that are going to examine the types of cancer from the samples taken from people,” he said.
Dr Mombeshora noted that cancer cases were rising and stressed the importance of prevention through healthier lifestyles and improved public awareness.
“Cancer is one of the non-communicable diseases, but it is also a lifestyle disease. We are taking this opportunity to sensitise people and encourage them to eat traditional foods.
“I want to promise this House that in the near future we are going to have many cancer treatment centres and machines for testing,” he said.
