Takunda Mandura
Harare—Zimbabwe’s healthcare system, once a shining example of excellence in southern Africa, now stands as a grim testament to decades of neglect, mismanagement, and systemic failure, with hospitals and clinics across the country struggling to provide even the most basic care.
The recent Lutumba Tollgate bus accident, which claimed 25 lives, has thrust the nation’s healthcare crisis into the spotlight, exposing the harrowing realities of a system teetering on the brink of collapse.
The tragedy occurred along the Masvingo-Beitbridge highway. Images circulating online showed government officials, including Transport minister, Felix Tapiwa Mhona, and Local Government minister, Daniel Garwe, posing at an unnamed hospital with survivors whose injuries were held together with cardboard and tape.
The photos, widely condemned as a tone-deaf public relations exercise, sparked outrage and reignited criticism of the government’s failure to prioritise healthcare.
Urban and rural healthcare facilities alike are plagued by chronic underfunding, staffing shortages, and a lack of essential medicines.
Municipal polyclinics, once a lifeline for urban populations, are now overcrowded and under-resourced, struggling to meet even the most basic needs of patients.
A Legacy of Neglect
The roots of Zimbabwe’s healthcare crisis can be traced back to years of systemic neglect. The government’s failure to invest in healthcare infrastructure has left hospitals and clinics ill-equipped to handle even routine medical cases.
According to the National Health Strategy for 2021-2025, Zimbabwe requires between US$5,2 billion and US$7,8 billion over five years to address the funding gap.
However, the 2024 health budget allocation of ZiG28,3 billion (approximately US$785,9 million) represents just 10,2 percent of the national budget, falling far short of the 15 percent target set by the Abuja Declaration.
At the 2025 budget consultation, Josiah Makombe, the chairperson of the parliamentary portfolio committee for health, underscored findings from recent public consultations and emphasised that inadequate funding has drastically limited access to quality healthcare and led to critical shortages in essential services.
Political analyst Vivid Gwede, speaking to News Hub, acknowledged that Zimbabwe’s political leaders are shunning the country’s health care system
“The country’s healthcare system has been in a state of neglect for decades. Budget funding for public health has been limited with the country relying on donor support.
“The country’s leaders have been showing their distrust of the local health-care system by seeking private care or flying abroad for treatment. The recent uncertainty in the US aid policy, which is a major health sector donor, is a wakeup call,” he said.
Public hospitals, the most utilised by the general populace, are often overcrowded and understaffed.
Rural areas bear the brunt of these shortages, with many clinics lacking basic equipment and essential medicines.
Even urban facilities like the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, the country’s largest referral centre, are struggling.
For instance, the mammography machine at Parirenyatwa has been broken for 15 years, leaving women without access to timely breast cancer diagnoses.
Medical expert, Prolific Mataruse, acknowledged the impact of the economic challenges on the country’s health.
“Zimbabwe has been grappling with economic challenges that have cascaded into every sector, including healthcare.
“Despite the government’s efforts to address these issues, which were inherited from the previous regime, the problems persist and have become overwhelming.
“Since the Second Republic took office, the government has been working with urgency to resolve these challenges, but it’s clear that achieving effective solutions will take more time,” he said.
The human cost
The human cost of Zimbabwe’s healthcare neglect is immeasurable.
Countless lives hang in the balance due to a system crippled by chronic underfunding and mismanagement.
One such case is that of Admire Sanyanga Sibanda, a Zanu PF activist affectionately known as Chief Hwenje.
Diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, Chief Hwenje’s plight sparked a public outcry on social media, with critics lambasting the Zanu PF government for the country’s deteriorating healthcare infrastructure.
The backlash was so intense that George Charamba, the Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, announced on his X handle (@Jamwanda2) that Chief Hwenje would receive treatment in South Africa.
However, state media later revealed that he had been flown to India for medical care.
Similarly, the plight of 13-year-old Laurah Kayla Adams, a student at Victoria Government Primary School in Masvingo, has further underscored the dire state of the nation’s healthcare that cannot care for critical cases.
Laurah urgently requires US$30,000 for life-saving surgery in India after being diagnosed with Intestinal Neural Dysplasia and African Degenerative Leiomyopathy.
Her health has deteriorated to the point where she can no longer consume solid food, endures excruciating pain and has been forced to drop out of school.
Medical tourism: A symptom of Failure
The trend of Zimbabwean leaders seeking medical treatment abroad has further highlighted the neglect of the local healthcare system.
Throughout his decades-long rule, Zimbabwe’s former president, the late Robert Mugabe, routinely sought healthcare abroad, primarily in Singapore, where he ultimately passed away in September 2019 at the age of 95.
Similarly, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, when he was Mugabe’s deputy, was airlifted to South Africa in 2017 after suspected food poisoning, while Vice President Constantino Chiwenga sought medical attention in China in 2019 even when he was in charge of the health portfolio.
Critics argue that this reliance on foreign healthcare underscores the government’s failure to prioritise and invest in local healthcare infrastructure.
The public health sector in Zimbabwe faces a critical shortage of health professionals, exacerbated by low wages and migration.
Zimbabwe is among the top 10 source countries for health workers in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), indicating a severe “brain drain.”
Projections suggest a significant gap in the health workforce through 2030.
According to the Health Labour Market Analysis for Zimbabwe report (2023), half of the urban health workforce intends to migrate, particularly among nurses.
Additionally, about 41 percent of health workers surveyed plan to migrate abroad in the future. This exodus of skilled professionals has left the country with a paltry 3,500 doctors for a population of 16 million, resulting in a ratio of 0.91 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, far below the global average of 1.70.
Secretary General of Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights, Norman Matara, castigated lack of service delivery due to shortage of essential consumables
“Zimbabwe’s public hospitals and clinics face significant challenges in infrastructure, resources, and service delivery.
“Many facilities suffer from outdated or poorly maintained infrastructure, with some hospitals lacking basic necessities such as functional water supply, reliable electricity, and adequate sanitation.
“The shortage of essential medical equipment, drugs, and consumables is a persistent issue, making it difficult for healthcare workers to provide optimal care. Service delivery is often hampered by long waiting times especially for elective surgery, understaffing, and limited access to specialized treatments,” he said.
Matara said the most pressing challenges for nurses and doctors include poor remuneration, inadequate working conditions, and staff shortages, which lead to burnout.
“Many healthcare workers are overworked due to the high patient load and the migration of skilled professionals seeking better opportunities abroad.
“Additionally, the lack of essential medicines and medical equipment forces doctors and nurses to make difficult decisions, sometimes compromising patient care,” said Matara.
“These challenges arise from lack of commitment by government to fund public health care adequately, and as a means to raise funds to offer services hospitals have raised user fees recently, which now affects access to health care for the poor,” he added.