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‘2020 marks death of public health system’

BY PHYLLIS MBANJE In the midst of severe economic unrest, the Zimbabwean healthcare system has been disintegrating and coming apart at the seams over the years and 2020 took it a notch higher with the advent of COVID-19. As the curtain comes down on 2020, health stakeholders and workers reflected on the sector in the face of COVID-19 as well as the inherent challenges. Many said the year marked the death of the public health system. Enock Dongo (Zimbabwe Nurses Association) “We were the hardest hit as frontline workers. Nurses are the first port of call and that means increased exposure. When COVID-19 cases started being recorded in Zimbabwe, we had no clue as nurses about the novel disease. We were blank.  We had just read about it but lacked the appropriate knowledge to manage cases. A few trainings were done but many were not trained. We estimate that only a quarter received the training. “Then there was the issue of personal protective equipment (PPEs). That was a huge challenge and a catalyst to industrial action by nurses because we were not protected. We had no gloves, gowns, basic drugs and no ventilators. Basically there were no resources to manage the cases. Patients with symptoms presented at health facilities were expecting us nurses to heal them but we were struggling. But gradually with time we started to close the gaps but to date the bulk of nurses have not been trained formally. “Nurses were infected and we lost some in the line of duty. Now coming on the issue of salaries — that too was a big headache. 2020 was the worst in terms of poor remuneration. Government did not recognise that as frontliners we needed to be remunerated well. While everyone else stayed home under lockdown, nurses were expected to report for duty. This is despite the glaring challenges of transport. Only a handful of Zimbabwe United Passenger Company buses were on the road. Then most food outlets were closed and nurses had no access to decent food. Hospital canteens were also closed. “So, when the new Health minister, Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was appointed, we were anticipating positive change, but we were disappointed.  Since his appointment in August he has not met with us for dialogue. This has been a very hard year for nurses.” Itai Rusike (director Community Working Group on Health “The year 2020 has been unusual with so many disruptions — some challenges were COVID-19 related, while others were as a result of our own policy inconsistencies, inefficiencies and corruption.  COVID-19 negatively affected the running of almost all primary care services — with a number of urban clinics closed or offering limited services. Rural health centres remained open, but with limited access by communities as a result of restricted movements. Hospital care  remained severely constrained as a result of COVID-19 restricted access, but also largely as a result of the  lack of medication, hospital sundries and PPEs, labour withdrawals due to perpetual strikes by health personnel for improved wages and supply of PPEs. “The year 202

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