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This has seen referred cases that are supposed to be handled by the district hospital crowding at Kwekwe General Hospital.
The development comes amid revelations that Midlands is operating with inadequate medical officers.
In an interview, Midlands Provincial Medical Director (PMD) Dr Milton Chemhuru said while Kwekwe District case was the worst scenario, the whole province was operating with inadequate medical officers.
He said other districts were operating with a doctor each, which is inadequate for hundreds of people who need medical attention.
“Kwekwe District Hospital is the most affected as it has gone without a doctor for a long time.
“We need a doctor there as soon as possible as Kwekwe General hospital is being overwhelmed by demand caused by cases referred from the district hospital, which services Silobela and Zhombe,” he said.
Kwekwe District hospital in Silobela services hundreds of thousands of patients from Silobela, Zhombe and some parts of Lower Gweru. Dr Chemhuru said the ideal situation would be to have doctors at the district hospital in Silobela and at least one doctor at Zhombe Mission Hospital. The PMD said the country had a shortage of general medical practitioners hence the shortage of doctors in rural areas.
“When doctors come from school and do their two years, some in the rural areas, they then quickly specialise and return to the urban areas where they are also needed but not in the same way as they are in the rural areas. “In the cities there are locums, they can go into private practice and they can work in surgeries part time so they stay in the cities.
“They apply where they want and because there is a shortage everywhere there is nothing we can do about the situation,” explained Dr Chemhuru.
Elsewhere, the recently opened Gokwe North District Hospital is operating with one Government doctor, who is assisted by two from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) while Gokwe South is operating with two.
Dr Chemhuru said he was expecting one more doctor from Bulawayo to join Gokwe South District Hospital soon.
There is one Government doctor in Mvuma, stationed at Mvuma District Hospital, and two other doctors at two mission hospitals in the district.
The PMD said Zvishavane district was much better as it was operating with three government doctors while Mberengwa district only has one government doctor.
However, two mission hospitals in Mberengwa have a doctor each.
Shurugwi district is operating with two doctors while Kwekwe General has four doctors.
Instead of at least four consultants at the provincial hospital, Gweru General is operating with two and has eight government doctors instead of a minimum of 12.
Online Reporter