Health Minister Obadiah Moyo says he was prepared – if he were to fall sick sometime – to seek treatment at Parirenyatwa government hospital, moreso, by the same doctors he has seemingly antagonised through low wages and poor working conditions.
Moyo said this when quizzed by journalists during a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare Tuesday if he was prepared to subject himself to run-down hospital infrastructure that has become of the country’s public health institutions.
“I would go for treatment at Parirenyatwa,” Moyo said.
The former Chitungwiza General Hospital CEO is under fire for presiding over poorly equipped Zimbabwean hospitals that have been shunned by top government officials.
Moyo said under his leadership, the country has ensured Zimbabwean hospitals were also able to attend to emergency situations.
“We have made sure that there are emergency systems in place at all our central hospitals, the clinical officers, directors, CEOs are instructed to ensure that they can be able to provide a certain level of emergency cover.
“So, yes if there was an emergency and I had to go to Parirenyatwa Hospital, I am sure some arrangement will be made so that a life is saved. You know that is what we have said, that is what we want to see happening.
“At the end of the day, you have to look after patients the way you were trained not to let patients die.”
Moyo was speaking in the context of an ongoing crippling strike by public hospital doctors over poor wages and working conditions.
Government has blamed the critical health staff for allegedly prioritising wages while lives continued to be lost in public hospitals due to the continued absence of doctors.
Hundreds of public hospital doctors went on a crippling job action more than two months ago and have refused to return to work if their grievances were not addressed.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, his deputies and cabinet ministers have all abandoned local public hospitals for treatment outside the country.
In instances in which they have been treated locally, the country’s rulers have sought the services from expensive private hospitals.