TREASURY has been urged to timeously disburse funds for the Health and Child Care ministry to meet medical needs of Zimbabweans.
In a report tabled in Parliament on post-budget analysis, Health and Child Care committee chairperson, Daniel Molokele-Tsiye, said underfunding had crippled the public health sector.
“The Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion ministry should strive to align budget allocations more closely with the initially proposed bid to ensure the effective implementation of planned initiatives and address the existing variance,” he said.
“There is a need for the Finance ministry to allocate more funds to the Policy and Administration programme which will allow for continuous review of the conditions of service of the qualified health professionals towards regional parity.”
“There is a need to increase allocations to public health, and other critical sectors, to address the diverse healthcare needs of the population.”
The health sector faces a basket of challenges such as lack of medicines and drugs due to years of underfunding.
The sector has also been hard hit by a massive exodus of skilled manpower owing to poor salaries and working conditions.
Molokele-Tsiye said the ministry should explore other domestic resource mobilisation strategies to address the challenges bedevilling the health sector.
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He said this might include ring-fencing the 1% increase in the corporate tax to strengthen health infrastructure.
“There is a need for a strategic shift in budget priorities towards strengthening primary healthcare in adherence to the Alma-Ata Declaration, to foster a more proactive and preventive approach to healthcare,” he said.
“There is a need to intensify efforts to meet commitment targets outlined in international declarations, such as the Abuja Declaration, to ensure sustained progress in healthcare and sanitation.”
In April 2001, the African Union countries met in Abuja, Nigeria, and pledged to set a target of allocating at least 15% of their annual budgets to the health sector.
Molokele-Tsiye said there was a need to widen the “sin taxes” to cigarettes and illicit beer to boost health funding.
He said the revenue generated from “sin taxes” could be ring-fenced to support drug and substance abusers’ rehabilitation as well as procurement of key medical equipment.
“The committee encourages the Finance ministry to consider allocating more funds to the Health ministry, empowering it to effectively discharge its mandate in line with constitutional provisions and national development goals.
“This strategic investment will not only enhance healthcare accessibility but also contribute to the overall well-being and productivity of the Zimbabwean population.”
