Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo, Health Reporter
THE Government has resolved to start training specialist doctors in local universities to curb the 95 percent skills deficit in the medical fraternity.
Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira told Senators that it was Government’s policy to train specialists locally.
Most specialists are populated in Harare and Bulawayo provinces and in the private sector which translates to a few or no specialists in public health institutions.
Mpilo Central Hospital for example, which caters for five provinces in Zimbabwe, has been running with a shortage of 20 specialists for more than 15 years.
Prof Murwira said the Government has adopted a new policy, Education 5.0 which seeks to address the medical skills deficit in the country.
In response to Matabeleland North Senator Alice Dube, Prof Murwira said the Education 5.0 policy would bring about innovation and industrialisation.
“Our national skills audit which we did between December, 2017 and April, 2018 showed that our skills levels in the medical or health fields are at 5 percent. We have a deficit of 95 percent. That might explain why most people look for medical services elsewhere,” he said.
Prof Murwira added that the Government has increased the number of medical schools as well as strengthening the existing ones as a way of speeding up the process.
“One of the things that we have done is to make sure that we have a third medical school which is at Midlands State University.
“It is in the process of being grown right now and we have provided it this year with around 180 lecturers so that they are able to function,” he said.
“We are in the process of strengthening the National University of Science and Technology medical school to make sure that they are also more competent. With the University of Zimbabwe medical school, we have put measures to strengthen it as well”.
Prof Murwira said the Government intends to establish more institutions for training of specialist skills in pharmaceuticals and eye care.
“We are looking forward to having a new pharmaceutical school at the Harare Institute of Technology and new one for eyes which we are establishing at Bindura University of Science and Technology.
“All these efforts are meant to increase the number of specialists within our system but what we know for sure is that we have a 95 percent deficit which is very important to know because in order to move somewhere you have to know where you are coming from,” he said. — @thamamoe
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