MPILO and United Bulawayo (UBH) hospitals are failing to replenish wheelchairs and cancer radiation machines due to poor government funding.
The government-owned hospitals are currently having serious challenges with patients using old and broken wheelchairs, while many cancer patients are failing to receive proper attention due to lack of cancer radiation machines.
Bulawayo provincial medical director, Maphios Siamuchembu told Southern Eye that the government disbursed a fraction of the funds the hospital required to repair wheelchairs and malfunctioning cancer machines.
“The government only released about 10 to 15% of the funds that were proposed. So if we have been allocated less than a quarter of the proposed budget, surely we cannot prioritise replenishing wheelchairs and the cancer radiation machine. We want to at least purchase medication and bandages then we will then concentrate on improving on the machines and the wheelchairs later on,” he said.
“We are hoping to get funds soon so that the cancer radiation machine can be fixed.”
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube referred questions to Permanent Secretary Paul Nyoni, who said he was busy at a function.
“l am very busy at a function, try getting hold of me later on when the function is over,” Nyoni said.
Efforts to contact him later were futile.
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In July last year, there was public outcry over the state of affairs at Mpilo Central Hospital after a local freelance journalist Hopewell Chin'ono posted a picture of broken wheelchairs at the medical institution.
Former Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson, Ambrose Sibindi said the government was neglecting the public health sector.
