via Readers respond to health horror – DailyNews Live by Staff Writer 23 SEPTEMBER 2013
In keeping with the organisation’s motto of telling it like it is without fear or favour, Zimbabwe’s favourite newspaper, the Daily News last week extensively reported on the state of public hospitals in the country.
The three part series revealed the poor state of service delivery at Parirenyatwa Hospital, Harare, Mpilo, Mutare, Masvingo and Chitungwiza central hospitals.
Below are some of the views from Daily News readers who posted their comments on our website.
“This is the role of the media! Please continue writing stories about service delivery in Zimbabwe. Keep it up Daily News — Nkosi Mambo
“You got it right this time Daily News, highlighting where the nation is failing and attention is needed. Instead of personality attacks, we need more reports highlighting shortcomings of these social needs, schools, roads, abuse of office etc. Keep this new focus up. — Kambiri
“Zimbabweans are indeed a unique breed. You have a country whose economy is not performing well, if at all, a lot of industries have closed and those that remain are operating at less than 40 percent capacity, an unemployment rate in the region of 85 percent plus, if you discount the informal sector, a whole country which at one point only had $270 in the bank, and a reporter who believes that Zimbabwe has a hospital with a bed capacity of 5 000!
“The above notwithstanding — you have a people, said to be highly literate, who expect a first world standard and when they don’t get it attack the few health workers who have remained behind in the service of their people.
“Nurses, Pharmacists, radiographers who have been trained are roaming the streets because they cannot be absorbed, apparently because the fiscus has no money to pay their wages, even though we all know that those currently working in the institutions are overworked and underpaid!
“Cry the beloved country! I hope someone somewhere, will one day have the courage to tell people why our social services are in this state, (and it certainly is not because of the people who work there rather it’s in spite of) and depending on how sincere they are, to ask for time to address the many challenges being faced by both patients and the health workers. — Chinogura
“This is the type of journalism we have been waiting for, exposing the essential elements of human suffering by the generality of our people
“Good piece, so was yesterday’s. Visit the morgues and see the way bodies are piled and just tell us how many people are dying per day due to this neglect. — Manqoba Mamamela
“This is vintage journalism. Why have we not been seeing this??? Can you also do an exposé on the private pension industry, it dovetails with the health sector as most of the people being given a raw deal by these greedy thieves are the elderly who spent the greater part of their working lives putting up high-rise buildings managed by these criminal pensioner executioners (sorry executives).This is a rich mine for information. — Gutter Poet
“All other sectors of the economy have decayed and are suffering similar problems but the health profession requires people who are willing to be of service despite difficult working conditions. Those who are unwilling to endure should leave so that the gaps are noticeable.
“People should not become doctors simply because they believe there is a lot of money to be made.
“We can stand poor service from anywhere else except hospitals. A visit to Gomo and Pari is a real nightmare.
“The national budget should prioritise health and those who work in the sector should be people who are naturally good hearted not mercenaries.
“Hanzi ndatadza zvandaida kuita saka ndavakuenda kunursing. — Magame
“I see in part 3 of this supposed “exposé” there is talk of an institution which is perceived to be a model hospital, really?
“There really is an institution in the public sector in Zimbabwe which has access to all the required resources, in the form of equipment and manpower?
“Just goes to show how “objective” the reporter is. You go into 2 major hospitals, one of which you claim has 5 000 beds, visit just the casualty department, ( which by nature is the busiest) and you form an opinion about the whole hospital.
“Then you proceed to make a comparison with an institution that is “Central Hospital” in name only, probably has 150 beds.
“PPPs! My foot! Maybe the State Procurement Board could examine these PPPs and assure us that the arrangements are procedural and whether they really do provide value for money.
“I also note that a comment was solicited from the man heading the institution.
“Was this privilege accorded to the Heads of other Hospitals? Please Mr Editor protect your Newspaper lest it be used to promote other agendas at the expense of the good work that you usually do in highlighting issues of concern to Society! — Mberi
COMMENTS