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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa, has said his Ministry should get the largest chunk in the 2017 National Budget to improve the health sector in the country.
Dr Parirenyatwa said donor dependency was not good for the country’s health system as it had resulted in plummeting standards in the country’s public hospitals.
During a recent visit to Bulawayo, the Minister said his Ministry was expecting a better allocation in next year’s budget which is set to be announced next week.
“As the Ministry of Health we are anxious that as we go into 2017 with a new budget that is coming on the 8th of December, we earnestly hope that the health sector will be allocated much more resources than is currently happening. Really, really – there are certain things that cannot be done by donors, you cannot and you must not depend on donors,” said the Minister.
“The country should just say yes this is what is going to the health system, this is what is going to assist you to buy ambulances, to buy drugs, upgrade our X-ray machines.”
Dr Parirenyatwa urged medical practitioners to support his Ministry in its quest for an improved budget allocation.
“There is no donor who is going to do that for us, so I urge you all to support that message that there must be more allocation to the health system of this country in the budget more than any other Ministry. Whatever Ministry now, we must say health system first. I can tell you a country is judged by its health delivery system and it’s a sensitive area,” he said.
— @AuxiliaK
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