RBF model boosts health delivery

Nyore Madzianike Eastern Edition
THE Result-Based Financing Model introduced by the Ministry of Health and Child Care has helped improve the health delivery system, Nyanga district medical officer, Dr Admore Jokwiro has said. Speaking during last week’s tour by a Gambian delegation, Dr Jokwiro, said the hospital had recorded a decrease in maternal deaths since the implementation of the RBF model in 2014.

Dr Jokwiro said they had not experienced maternal deaths this year.

As Nyanga District Hospital, we have been implementing the RBF programme for a couple of years, say three years now. We have seen a gradual improvement in terms of quality and quantity of health services we are offering.

“Some of our proxy indicators that we can use to show this come from the maternity section where we have seen that the number of institutional deliveries, that is, women coming to deliver in hospitals has significantly increased.

“In 2013, we had about 3 500 and now we have about 4 500 institutional deliveries in a year as Nyanga District, which is what we want as the Ministry of Health, he said.

Dr Jokwiro also said the number of people in need of ante-natal care had increased in the district.

As Nyanga District, we had two maternal deaths in 2013 and two again in 2014 and we had no maternal deaths in 2015.

“Unfortunately, we had two in 2016 and we do not have any maternal deaths this year.

“We would like to continue having this scenario up to year end or beyond that,” he said.

Although the district has scored a number of successes in health delivery services, it is grappling with a number of challenges among them a depleted ambulance fleet.

Dr Jokwiro said plans were underway to have a fundraising dinner dance.

There are a number of things that need attention at the hospital. We are planning to host a dinner dance in Mutare to raise money to finance the revamping of such departments.

“I am sure that you have seen that there are things that need immediate attention. A dinner dance will help us raise the needed money,” said Dr Jokwiro.

Dr Jokwiro said some of the money would be channelled towards acquiring some vehicles at the hospital.

“As you can see, some of our ambulances are grounded and it is one area that needs improvement,” he said.

The 19-member Gambian delegation was in the country to understudy how Zimbabwe was implementing the Result-Based Funding Model in the health sector.

Matabeleland North Provincial Medical Director Dr Nyasha Masuka led the delegation.