SCORES of cancer patients referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Zimbabwe’s largest public health institution, this week shared harrowing accounts of neglect and critical shortages as an investigation by Truth Diggers revealed alarming service gaps.

The situation has sparked widespread concern over the state of healthcare in the country.

During a visit last week to the hospital, Truth Diggers uncovered that Parirenyatwa’s radiotherapy department, the only public facility of its kind in Zimbabwe, is operating with just two functional radiotherapy machines.

These machines are expected to handle 53 patients daily, while an additional 25 to 30 chemotherapy patients flood the hospital each day, further straining the already overwhelmed resources. 

Parirenyatwa, once a beacon of medical excellence at independence in 1980, now reflects the broader decline of Zimbabwe’s health services, crippled by chronic underfunding and mismanagement.

The radiotherapy department, a lifeline for cancer patients, is struggling to meet the needs of desperate Zimbabweans, many of whom have to travel hundreds of kilometres in search of relief from excruciating pain.

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Outside the radiotherapy department, patients, weary and in agony, were seen lying on the grass, waiting for their turn. Some had travelled as far as Bulawayo, 500 kilometers from Harare, and Gweru, 280 kilometers away, only to face long delays.

“This is my third time here,” said Rosaline, a cervical cancer patient. 

“I first tried Bulawayo, but the machines there were not working. When I came here initially, I was told the same. A nurse suggested I go to South Africa or Namibia for treatment, but I can’t afford it,” she added.  

That day, she had arrived in the morning, but by lunchtime, she had yet to be seen. For patients at Zimbabwe’s public hospitals, spending an entire day waiting to be served has become the norm.

Overworked and underpaid staff, frustrated by poor working conditions, were seen milling about with little urgency, seemingly indifferent to the suffering around them.

Cancer has become a heavy burden on a healthcare system already on life support. According to the National Cancer Registry, Zimbabwe is among the countries with the highest cancer mortality rates.

In 2018 alone, the country recorded 2 743 deaths from 7 841 diagnosed cases. The most common cancers include cervical (21%), prostate (11%), breast (8%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (5%), oesophageal (4%), Kaposi sarcoma (4%), colorectal (4%), stomach (3%), and liver (3%).

The other cancers account for 37% of the registered malignancies, according to an official report released this week.

These figures highlight the urgent need for improved healthcare services. However, the situation is worsened by the fact that most Zimbabweans cannot afford private healthcare, with 93% of the population lacking medical aid.

“Life as a cancer patient is a harrowing experience,” Rosaline said.

Her story is not unique. Outside the cancer ward, another patient, Ruvimbo Museve, recounted her ordeal.

Standard medical procedures required Museve to undergo screening before radiation treatment, which meant she had to abstain from food.

However, the nurse responsible for the screening was not on duty, leaving Museve and others waiting for over 24 hours.

“We have been waiting to be checked before radiation,” Museve said.

“We can’t eat before that, but it’s been more than a day, and the nurse isn’t here yet. If we eat and they come, we’ll miss our chance. So we have no choice but to wait,” Museve said, her voice weak from hunger.

“I’m so weak; I’m hungry,” she added.

Museve’s daughter, distressed by her mother’s condition, questioned, “How can a big hospital rely on one person? We have been turned away many times in the past because of this. This is my mother’s only chance. It hurts seeing her weak”.  

Parirenyatwa’s public relations manager, Terrence Mautsi, facilitated a meeting with a doctor at the radiation centre, who acknowledged the overwhelming demand, saying there was “significant pressure”.

“Remember the unit was not working for two years, so we are now seeing a massive influx of both returning and new patients. We don’t have the capacity to attend to all of them,” the doctor explained. “Patients are coming from all over Zimbabwe and even from neighboring countries like Zambia and Namibia. 

“With only two functional machines, the demand far exceeds our capacity. To make matters worse, we’re losing skilled doctors and nurses to other countries.  Even if we had enough machines, we don’t have the personnel to operate them.”

This week, Health and Child Care deputy minister Sleiman Timeous Kwidini said: “Currently, we have machines at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and we are also working on resuscitating services at all central hospitals. At Mpilo Central Hospital, they have started to do some screening though it is not large scale. At Parirenyatwa, a second machine is coming and at the moment, it is the main institution offering those services".