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Thandeka Moyo/ Nqobile Tshili, Health Reporters
THE Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe (HPAZ) has resumed conducting inspections at health institutions after the exercise was suspended in 2017 due to financial constraints.
HPAZ is a body mandated to uphold and promote high standards in the health care delivery system in Zimbabwe.
It’s mandate involves co-ordination and regulating activities of all health professionals, health professions councils and health care institutions to ensure that they follow ethical procedures.
This week, a HPAZ team visited Bulawayo hospitals to assess whether they were adhering to expected standards.
In an interview yesterday, HPAZ secretary general Mr Shepherd Humure called on members of the public to report any malpractices experienced in hospitals, surgeries, clinics and pharmacies to ensure standards are upheld.
He said the current inspection in Bulawayo was meant to ascertain if professionals and institutions were in line with their obligations.
“We do three types of inspections. The first being the initial inspection conducted before someone sets up a health institution, secondly we do investigative routines when we receive complaints from members of the public.
“Lastly, we do routine inspections ideally to be done yearly in all institutions though we have been facing resource challenges. We last conducted routine inspection in Bulawayo in 2017 and we are happy to be conducting one at the moment,” said Mr Humure.
He said the countrywide inspection of all public health institutions and practitioners would take about two weeks.
Thereafter, Mr Humure said, HPAZ would write a comprehensive report to guide the Ministry of Health and Child Care in decision making.
He said after completing inspecting public health institutions, HPAZ would start assessing private surgeries among other health centres.
Mr Humure said these routine inspections were conducted without notice to ensure health practitioners are caught unawares.
“We call on members of the public to report any health practitioner who does not treat them well. They can easily call our Harare office on (0242) 754930- 1.
“We have a vibrant public relations department willing to attend to all complaints or updates,” he said. — @thmamoe/-nqotshili
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