By Anyway Yotamu
Residents of Mbire District in Mashonaland Central Province have urged the government to prioritise investment in healthcare infrastructure warning that shortages of medicines and facilities are forcing thousands to seek treatment in neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique.
During a public hearing held by Parliament’s Budget and Finance Sub-Committee chaired by Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa, residents said the government should urgently strengthen the health delivery system in the forthcoming 2026 National Budget.
“We are struggling in this countryside. Can the government consider building a general hospital in this area, because we are crossing to neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique in search of better and affordable healthcare?
“Our clinics here do not have medicines, and we are travelling or sending people to Harare to get medication which is so expensive hence we are opting for neighbouring countries,” said Rodger Mwinga, a local resident.
Another resident Dorcas Murongazvombo said the shortage of medicines was having a devastating impact on women.
“Women in this area are the most affected as they seek treatment in clinics where there’s no medication, with pregnant mothers having to travel and spend more time at hospital. Therefore, the 2026 National Budget should consider equipping our clinics and hospitals with medicines,” she told the committee.
Once hailed as one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa in the 1980s, Zimbabwe’s healthcare system has deteriorated sharply over the years, crippled by corruption, chronic underfunding and a prolonged economic crisis.
Thousands of healthcare professionals have left the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
Official statistics show that more than 4,000 healthcare workers are leaving Zimbabwe annually, leaving behind only about 1,700 doctors and 17,200 nurses to serve a population of over 15 million people.
As medical professionals leave, so too are patients fleeing across borders in search of care.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube is expected to present the 2026 National Budget next month, following nationwide consultations currently being conducted by Parliament to gather citizens’ priorities.
The hearings are set to conclude on Saturday, 10 October.
