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George Maponga in Masvingo
A critical shortage of specialists has hit hospitals and health service centres in Masvingo with all the seven districts in the province operating without Government medical officers and other skilled staff. Deputy Health and Child Care Minister Paul Chimedza said Government should immediately unfreeze posts to enable recruitment of specialists to rescue the country’s health delivery system.
Speaking after touring Masvingo provincial referral and Mwenezi district hospitals yesterday as part of a countrywide tour of Government health institutions, Dep Minister Chimedza said his ministry would immediately remedy the situation.
“As I speak there is 100 percent vacancy for district medical officers across the province and this affects operations at major hospitals in the districts because any institution needs leadership to move forward.
“There is also a serious shortage of specialists such as radiographers, physicians and obstetricians and Government should immediately unfreeze posts to rescue the situation,’’ he said.
The deputy minister said the job freeze was affecting recruitment of staff such as general hands, thereby affecting hygiene standards. He said there was an urgent need to build a new referral health centre for Masvingo as the existing one could no longer cope with the disease load.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter