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Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
The private health sector has a critical role in revamping Zimbabwe’s health services and the Government appreciates the role, Minister of Health and Child Care Vice President Constantino Chiwenga told the joint congress of the College of Primary Health Care Physicians of Zimbabwe and Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe.

The Second Republic had drawn up an ambitious health revitalisation programme expected to be in sync with the country’s economic status which is primed to reach the upper middle income economy by 2030.

“Our private health sector players remain critical for us to achieve universal health coverage as a country. We are happy for the complementary role it is playing to the Government’s efforts,” said VP Chiwenga.

“As the Second Republic we are committed to investing towards universal health coverage. We strongly believe that we need to reorganise and revamp our systems for us to achieve universal health access.

“We need to strengthen our primary health care, improve our non-communicable diseases detection, treatment, care and stop outbound medical tourism. To make health for all a reality, we need individuals and communities who have access to high quality health services,” said VP Chiwenga.

Private sector participation is one of the key enablers under the country’s economic development blueprint, National Development Strategy 1.

“My Ministry is up to speed with matters relating to health insurance which are affecting health service delivery, particularly challenges faced by clients who have medical aid cover.

“Government is reaffirming its role in preventing catastrophic health expenditure through regularisation of medical aid societies under the Medical Aid Regulatory Authority which will soon be created under the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

“We will not hesitate to de-register errant medical aid societies who focus on their perks ahead of their sick clients as service providers. We will set a threshold where overheads, perks, salaries and routine expenditure should not exceed a certain proportion of what the medical aids collect from our people.

“We do not need catastrophic expenditure. People should never sell all they have to access health,” said VP Chiwenga.