Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Senior Health Reporter
Government is pushing for a more streamlined health-sector regulatory system to make registration and compliance easier while strengthening oversight of health institutions and practitioners.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said this at the 2025 Health Professions Authority (HPA), Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ) and Medical Rehabilitation Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MRPCZ) Annual General Meeting in Harare yesterday.
Dr Mombeshora, whose speech was delivered by Chitungwiza Central Hospital chief medical officer Dr Raphael Makota, said regulation should facilitate innovation and quality healthcare rather than create unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.
The minister said the HPA and regulatory councils should work towards a seamless system that protects patients while reducing unnecessary administrative burdens on legitimate health providers.
He said the Government is considering a one-stop-shop model for the registration of health facilities, which would bring regulatory processes under a more coordinated framework.
“The regulatory environment must be proactive rather than reactive, and it must not become a barrier to innovation. The HPA should explore a one-stop-shop approach to health facility registration so that the process is seamless and supports the ease-of-doing-business agenda,” said Dr Mombeshora.
He said Government had also reviewed regulatory fees, with the proposed reductions having gone through Cabinet and awaiting implementation. The reforms are being pursued as Government works to strengthen the health system under the National Health Strategy 2026–2030 and broader efforts towards Universal Health Coverage.
Dr Mombeshora said regulation remains critical to protecting patients, particularly as the health sector expands and new forms of service delivery emerge.
He said the HPA and professional councils have a responsibility to ensure that health facilities meet required standards and that practitioners operate within their legally defined scopes of practice.
“While we streamline regulation, institutional integrity, mandatory practitioner registration and adherence to statutory clinical standards remain non-negotiable. Our primary responsibility is to protect citizens and ensure that they receive safe and quality care,” he said.
HPA board president Professor Joconiah Chirenda said the authority is also pursuing digitalisation, standardisation and stronger collaboration among regulators as part of its 2026–2028 strategic plan.
He said the reforms are intended to make regulation more efficient while maintaining the standards required to protect patients.
“The direction we are taking is to make regulation easier to navigate, more standardised and increasingly digital. At the same time, we must strengthen collaboration and ensure that the public have confidence in the services being provided,” he said.
He said the authority is training provincial inspectors to reduce the cost and time involved in sending inspectors from Harare to distant provinces.
Prof Chirenda added that the proposed one-stop-shop model would also address concerns from practitioners over multiple regulators and overlapping processes.
“One of the recurring complaints from practitioners has been over-regulation. The strategy seeks to address this through better coordination of functions between the authority and councils,” he said.
He said the HPA has been expanding its digital systems, including online renewal processes for practitioners, while work is also underway to develop a digital registration module for health facilities.
Speaking on the operations of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe, Prof Chirenda said the council is strengthening professional ethics and mentorship while dealing with a backlog of complaints against practitioners.
He said the council inherited nearly 400 complaints and is working on strategies to expedite their resolution.
“The council is strengthening its mentorship and ethics programmes so that professional standards are reinforced from training to practice,” said Prof Chirenda.
“We have also introduced ethics and professional standards as part of medical and dental student training, with the subject now forming part of examinations.”
The council is also concerned about drug and substance abuse among health professionals, which he said is increasingly featuring in disciplinary cases.
Prof Chirenda said the problem requires a coordinated response involving regulators, professional associations, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Medical Rehabilitation Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe said it is focusing on decentralising rehabilitation services as part of efforts to achieve universal health coverage.
Council chairperson Mr Paul Chivunga said the council has aligned its 2026 work plan with the National Health Strategy, with universal health coverage and decentralisation identified as key priorities.
He said rehabilitation services need to be expanded to rural and hard-to-reach communities, particularly for people with disabilities.
“People with disabilities need rehabilitation services wherever they are, whether in remote areas, rural communities or urban centres,” he said.
“We are encouraging practitioners to expand into all areas so that rehabilitation services are accessed by all people who need them.”
He said the council is also strengthening continuous professional development and collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care, HPA and sister health professional councils.
