Unlike President Robert Mugabe and his close allies most Zimbabweans do not have the money to travel to the East to receive treatment. In his eulogy at the burial of spy chief Menard Muzariri, Mugabe revealed to the nation that the government had on several occasions send the CIO boss to China in order to get medication all was according to Mugabe an attempt to give the late Muzariri the best medical attention.
We took him to China on several occasions hoping that he would get better but unfortunately he died, said Mugabe.
During the same week Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) commander Constantine Chiwenga was airlifted to China as he was reportedly very sick.
Mugabe himself has sought the wise medication from the east no less than five times this year. Recently his 46-year-old wife was also rushed to Singapore for a yet undisclosed illness.
Zanu (PF) chefs do not get their medication in the country because the health facilities are in deplorable conditions. They do not have faith in the sector that they destroyed, said a social commentator.
For the sick in the country who are not related to Zanu (PF) chefs or have the money for private health care facilities, the only available options are public health institutions such as Chitungwiza Hospital which are blighted by staff shortages, low morale due to low salaries and high patient to doctor ratio.
A woman, who looks better next to the profusely sweating sick woman, said nurses were too busy or they pretend to be busy.
Yes some people have been seen by a doctor but the doctor just sees two patients in two hours and leave. I have now spent six hours waiting for the doctor but I am yet to be checked up, said the woman.
Refusing to shed more light into the health of one of the service chiefs who are the core of the junta that is ruling the country by remote control, Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa said: What I know is that he had gone for medical checkups, we all go for medical checkups. Dont you go for routine medical checkups yourself?
Had he been talking to thousands of the sick at home in the country he would have been told that yes indeed we do not go to hospital for check-up.
People who are failing to get medication in Zimbabwe because they cannot afford the doctors fees are the same people who feet the astronomical bills that are caused by the commandeering of planes by Mugabe and company.
While the national budget provides for official trips by government officials, in his budget statement last year, Finance Minister Tendai Biti lamented the high overruns on foreign trips.
Only last year Zimbabweans paid over $30 million for such trips to by senior government officials – money that could have been better used upgrading the dilapidated health machines at the major hospitals in the country.
Post published in: Health