via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Parirenyatwa undresses MDC-T’s Dr Labode 14 June 2014 by Patrick Chitumba
HEALTH and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa has castigated the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Child Care, Dr Ruth Labode, for blowing the issue of expired drugs at three government hospitals in Bulawayo out of proportion, saying she was aware of the matter as she was once a board member at one of the institutions.
Addressing a press conference after meeting the Chief Executive Officers of Ingutsheni Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals, Mpilo Central Hospital and National Pharmaceutical at Mpilo hospital in the city yesterday, Dr Parirenyatwa said while he appreciated the role played by the committee chaired by Dr Labode, her handling of the situation last week was aggressive.
Dr Labode and her committee toured the three health institutions after which she lashed out at the CEO’s for driving Mercedes Benz vehicles hired from CMED (Private) Limited for about $6,000 rental monthly and receiving fuel allocations of up to 420 litres a month.
UBH’s Nonhlanhla Ndlovu was singled out for strong criticism as she and her directors are getting cellphone allowances of between $100 and $600 a month.
“The chairperson of the committee (Dr Labode) was also the chairperson of Mpilo Hospital board when these things were happening. She knew about the CEOs hired vehicle from CMED and approved it so there is really nothing new,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
He said the committee should look at things holisitically so that the general people are not scared of going to the government hospitals.
“We welcome the committee and their analysis but it should provide an ethical oversight so that we are together as government,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
He defended the CEOs packages, saying they were approved by the government.
“I had a meeting with them (CEOs) and the allegations that were made against them (by the committee) including the issue that they are getting obscene perks are not true. The CEOs are doing what they are doing according to treasury requirements,” he said.
Dr Parirenyatwa said the conditions of service for CEOs stipulated that they should get a certain category of vehicle from the Central Mechanical Department (CMED).
“If the vehicle is not there for sale from CMED, they are allowed to hire it but only from CMED and in this case they were approached and got the cars,” he said.
Dr Parirenyatwa said he was certain that if treasury provided money for the purchase of the vehicles for the CEOs then there would not be any problems requiring the institutions to depend on hiring.
“So the money to pay for the hiring of the vehicles is not taken from the institution to pay CMED. It is government that pays that money. If it means that as government we must look at the conditions of service of all our CEOs and lower them then that decision would be followed. Government approved this. What they did was lawful and there was no corruption in that regard,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.
He added that staff in health institutions including doctors, nurses and CEOs were working under difficult conditions and should be supported.
On the issue of expired drugs, Dr Parirenyatwa said all procedures were followed and the hospitals were not in the wrong.
“I would like to categorically state that procedures have been followed. If you have drugs in your institutions that have expired, they must be separated from live drugs and after separating them, they must be destroyed,” he said.
The Minister said the problem that led to the piling of drugs at the hospitals was the fact that the Ministry of Finance – which approves their destruction – had in years not given the nod.
“You can only get permission from the Ministry of Finance and when they say yes, then the drugs are destroyed. I am aware that over the years treasury has not been giving the permission easily. So there has been accumulation of expired drugs and some institutions have been incinerating them,” he said.
When MPs visited Ingutsheni Hospital, they saw expired drugs that were filled in a room that included Nifedipine capsules and Albendazole for children as well as medical devices like syringes and catheters.
At UBH, the storeroom in which expired drugs were stored had been cleared up and the drugs burnt.
COMMENTS
These guys will always loot and protect each other.So how do we progress when they sacrifice peoples lives for driving Mecs and hefty pays.Fact -drugs were expired,Fact -they are living large does not matter if government approved,so what was blown out of proportion there? nxaaa mhani !
Todii ZVAZVO thanks for being straight to the point.
Grace and Robert fly when there suspect they have flu.
and the GPs fees have been increased for poor service by the bufoons
There you have it. David Parirenyatwa of all people. Instead of praising Dr Labode he castigates her. Hear no evil see no evil mentality. It is also with in what others might consider the best in the Government. True to the Zanu MO he is just another thief.
Crazy Parirenyatwa…..your father’s bones are puzzled by you statement. Cars for CEO were designed to retain best skills instead of flocking to UK and Canada……but they have failed to perform despite the retention policy of Dr Lebode…..now they must be accountable and must be shamed…….they claimed all those allowances saying “because they are working hard”. Are they?
Dr Lebode is saying no, you are not……you are not even professional enough to ensure you have un-expired drugs. Dr David says thus not an issue. Shame on you…..these are the people that makes mugabe a bad performer.
I am disappointed. Its not an issue of politics with people’s health. Remember BaJukwa is out on bail….you will be the next article David
David Parirenyatwa is protecting himself as he is head of the corruption in the ministry of health and does not want the next finger pointing at him. More ZANU filth. Disgusting people.
Dr pee again advertising his stoopidity
So the lady should not have pointed out the anomalies because she was in the system? Zanu seriously thinks Zimbabweans are idiots.
You force your way into power and now the economy is in tatters.
Hmmm . . .
I know Pari and Mpilo because I used to service the cancer treatment machines. Getting paid for the work was “Mission Impossible”
At the official opening at Mpilo the Swiss Ambassador (they had given the money) stated publicly that the number of Mercs there could easily have bought the machines. Parirenyatwa was there and looked pretty sour. Even more so when I mentioned that they had made no budget provision for maintenance. They actually said they thought I’d do it for free! (I guess picking money off that famous murungu Money Tree we all have?)
Pari and labode at each others throat hey. Nxaaaaa. Vaidya vese just recently. Hapana ibvi kana mupimbira apa. Ko zvino tingadii? Ndiyo imwe nzira yoku vhara brain drain yacho. Politics pamwe dzofurira. Tozo chema vaenda. Hameno ndowona pari apa seari right. Labode anoziva kuti hapana nyaya kutoda kuwana cheap polirical milage. Kana madoctors kuma districts achipiwa etym kuzoti pampilo?
We blacks simply don’t understand how the world works. Even worse when there’s a “Dr” or “Professor” behind your name. The ignorance stinks. Zimbabwe is just like DRC, Sudan, Somalia etc
David Parirenyatwa said ‘it is the Government that pays that money” it’s wrong ! It is the poor people’s money (taxpayers money) The government is broke.
We got a crumbling economy.
Near 80% unemployment and the Dr thinks its okay to drive around in Mercs.
Of course that’s the Zim way of doing things.
We laugh at anyone going around in a little car, never mind that they are well fed, have a nice house and their kids go to good schools.
Hence Harare has the highest concentration per kilometer of expensive motors in the world.
What warped sense of values we have as a people.
Dr Pari, the issue is not that there was no corruption but stewardship of meagre resources. The Government Treasury you claim to have approved has gone bonkers. It boggles the mind if the learned Dr would expect CMED to sell cars when it can get $24k per month by hiring out 4 merc benzes to the 4 CEOs of institutions cited. That figure translates to $288k per year on 4 vehicles multiplied by other CEOs the Dr defends elsewhere in the country. Remember probably the Dr’s maintenance bill of his ministerial top of the range car hasn’t been paid for years. It therefore makes a lot of economic survival strategy for CMED
What a shame Dr P. All that expensive education in a British, Quaker public school.
We remember you well as a young, enthusiastic, champion in the making, of those hoping to be the people of Zimbabwe.
We remember you well with high ideals, to remove Smith from power, to give the country back to its people, to protect and serve ALL through open and transparent politics.
How is your memory?
Would your people look back on your achievements and thank you from the bottom of their hearts?
Or is there STILL a revolution needed to meet your original objectives?
Good luck from your old study mate in the UK