GOVERNMENT says it plans to double the health workforce by 2030 to address the critical shortage of midwives to improve maternal healthcare as the country battles a mass exodus of health workers.
Health and Child Care deputy minister Sleiman Timios Kwidini revealed this in the Senate on Thursday last week while responding to written submissions on government measures to address the skills gap.
“The government has got a shortage of these midwives, but as the ministry, we are targeting to double the health workforce by 2030 such that these challenges that are being faced by our pregnant mothers are reduced,” Kwidini said.
“We now have these village health workers who actually now are encouraged to give health education to expecting pregnant mothers so that they visit or they book with their antenatal care clinics and when they go to these nearest rural health centres, they are attended to by nurses who are there to advise them properly.
“In the case that their pregnancies require special attention, they will be advised to go to nearby hospitals where they can get specialised treatment.”
Zimbabwe’s health sector has been hard hit by a mass exodus of health workers, with the United Kingdom proving to be the destination of choice.
Poor salaries and working conditions coupled with the underfunding of the health sector, as seen in the critical shortages of drugs and medical equipment, are cited as the major reasons the health workers have been quitting their jobs.
Kwidini acknowledged the poor working conditions of health workers.
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“In terms of remuneration, yes, the government is also working towards encompassing each and every health worker or civil servant in government such that this job is done as a team,” he said.
Midwives in Zimbabwe have also been instrumental in responding to the recent cholera outbreak.
They have worked day and night to provide essential care to pregnant women and new mothers, ensuring their safety and well-being in the face of this public health crisis.
The United Nations Population Fund, through its Emergency Fund, has been proud to support these efforts, providing midwives with the resources and supplies they need to continue carrying out their life-saving work.
