Online Reporter
Health Correspondent
IN the heart of Zimbabwe’s healthcare landscape, a paradox unfolds.
While some privately-owned local hospitals and medical facilities are equipped with cutting-edge technology and staffed by highly skilled specialists, some medical insurance companies continue to favour foreign treatment options.
This trend not only drains the country’s foreign currency reserves, but also undermines the confidence of patients in their own healthcare system.
It is time to challenge the status quo and ask: Are we overlooking the excellence that exists right here at home?
Medical insurance companies have a powerful influence on healthcare decisions in Zimbabwe.
By re-evaluating their policies and prioritising local facilities, insurance providers can help rebuild trust in Zimbabwean healthcare, curb unnecessary medical tourism, and support national economic development.
Economic benefits
Supporting local hospitals helps patients avoid the high costs of overseas treatment and retains foreign currency within Zimbabwe — benefiting both individuals and the wider economy.
The return of Diaspora doctors and specialists has brought global expertise into Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector. Many have worked in leading hospitals across Russia, England, South Africa, and Australia, enriching local medical practice and services.
When insurance companies and healthcare professionals consistently default to foreign referrals, it undermines confidence in local care and results in a significant outflow of foreign currency.
For example, a recent case involved a first-degree burns patient being treated at Trauma Centre Borrowdale — a top-level, fully equipped facility. Despite this, the attending GP swiftly obtained approval for the patient’s transfer to South Africa, raising questions about the motives behind such decisions.
Facilities like The Avenues Clinic, Milton Park, and St Anne’s Hospital also provide high-quality care, yet are often overlooked.
Unnecessary transfers, particularly for cardiac, maternity, orthopedic and many specialised cases, place patients at risk — long flights can worsen medical conditions, cause discomfort, and elevate health risks. These transfers also inflate medical costs, especially when destinations like India are involved.
It is time for medical insurance companies and doctors to reassess their referral practices. By supporting local expertise and infrastructure, they can restore confidence in Zimbabwean healthcare, reduce outward medical tourism, and align with national goals.
President Mnangagwa has actively promoted Zimbabwe as a destination for medical tourism, highlighting the contradiction when local insurers undermine these efforts by referring patients abroad.
Hospitals such as the Trauma Centre Borrowdale are equipped with cutting-edge technology and staffed by highly qualified specialists in areas including cardiology, orthopedics, and obstetrics.
Choosing local care avoids unnecessary costs and complications, while reinforcing the capabilities of Zimbabwe’s health sector. As Dr Vivek Solanki recently said in a telephone interview, “The Trauma Centre has world-class facilities and patients need to be treated at home.”
Ministry of Health and Childcare statistics show that over US$400 million was spent outside Zimbabwe on healthcare in 2024 —double the amount recorded in 2022.
This situation is comparable to importing medicines that are already locally manufactured — practices that previously decimated local industries such as footwear and clothing. Some laboratories are sending samples/lab test to South Africa, yet the same tests could be done locally. Pricing transfer is rampant in the medical industry, it needs to be stopped.
“Cheaper” treatments outside the country do not necessarily mean better treatment.
“There are numerous complications post surgeries and then we have to sort out here.
“More recently we see people who went for dental implants to India and the ‘implants’ fell out soon after returning. One developed severe sepsis requiring surgery in Harare. We have the expertise and equipment at home. It is a matter of knowing that the grass is not always greener on the other side,” said Dr Solanki.
Ultimately, investing in local healthcare is not only a health issue but a matter of national importance. It demands a unified effort to build a stronger, self-reliant system that benefits all Zimbabweans.
Restore confidence
Stakeholders must act now to restore confidence, strengthen local institutions, and create a sustainable, thriving healthcare environment.
The belief that foreign treatment is automatically superior must be challenged. Recognising and investing in local excellence will lead to better resource utilisation, improved patient outcomes, and renewed trust in Zimbabwean healthcare.
As Zimbabwe stands at the crossroads of healthcare, it’s time to tend to the garden at home. The grass may seem greener abroad, but local healthcare’s roots are growing stronger.
Let’s nurture our own excellence, prune unnecessary referrals, and harvest a brighter future for Zimbabwean healthcare. The best care is often the one closest to home.
