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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Zimbabweans have urged Government to review the appointment of senior health administration officers under the proposed Public Health Bill, an official has said.

The chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care and the Thematic Committee on HIV and Aids, Mr Prince Madubeko Sibanda, said this sentiment was shared by people in Masvingo, the Midlands and Matabeleland South provinces.

The committee is on a countrywide tour to receive submissions on the proposed Public Health Act which seeks to update the current laws which were promulgated in 1924.

The team visited Beitbridge district last week.

“The appointment of senior health administration officials from national to district level has become the most contentious issue,” said Mr Sibanda.

“This has been coming up at almost all the five centres we have visited in the Midlands, Masvingo and Matabeleland South provinces.

“It is the general feeling of the public that the current set-up is inclined more to the appointment of medical doctors at the expense of other professionals, who can equally manage or deliver on matters pertaining to public health.

“They feel it will be ideal to open the appointments of health ministers, permanent secretaries, provincial medical directors and district medical officers to other professionals.

“In addition, most people are of the view that the Bill gives too much power to the Minister of Health and Child Care, which they want reviewed.”

According to Mr Sibanda, in some places, people had raised the red flag over the idea of opening the appointment of the Environmental Health Advisory Board to other people.

He said many shared the view that the area should be manned by technocrats conversant with issues around that area.

Mr Sibanda said they had sent soft copies of the proposed Bill to several people in areas where the public hearings had been scheduled.

“We want to get all Zimbabweans to fully participate in the process and hence the need to orient people prior to our visits,” he said.

Mr Sibanda said after collecting the submissions, they would report back to the august House for further action.

During last week’s public hearing meeting, many Beitbridge residents proposed that the Bill create standard operational procedures at public health institutions.

“It is also critical that the new proposed laws address issues of conflict of interest among Government doctors who also double services with private practice (surgeries),” said Mr Sibanda.

“In addition, the law must ensure that public health institutions stick to their core business and leave ancillary services to other players.”

Former Beitbridge town councillor Ms Patricia Ndlovu said health laws should enhance the integration of services to avoid the stigma associated with some diseases.

“The current set-up, where we have people with opportunistic infections, being treated separately in secluded areas is fuelling stigma,” she said.

“We would love a situation where all services are put under one roof like what is done in other countries.”

Others said under the new laws, Government should be compelled to fund water and sanitation issues in border towns because most of them handled a lot of people in transit.