The Health and Child Care Ministry is being restructured with a new sustainable funding model, far greater effectiveness, and a new work ethic for staff under plans outlined yesterday by the Minister, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

In streamlining and expanding the operations of the ministry, but without adding to numbers with the upgrade coming from better use of staff, the remuneration of health workers has been put at the core of this shake-up.

The reorganisation also seeks to transform the work ethic of health professionals, which will be aligned to the oath of their profession.

VP Chiwenga said he was given a clear brief when he assumed the health portfolio.

“Zimbabwe’s vision is to have a national healthcare system that reflects international best practices by 2030. The desire is to have a national health system that ensures that all members of the corporation have equitable access to healthcare services of sufficient quality, thereby leaving no one behind,” he started.

“His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, ordered the restructuring of the Ministry of Health and Child Care, for it to reflect international best practices. Today it is with great pleasure that I announce that the first phase of the restructuring that I was tasked to undertake by the President is now complete.

“The main objective of the restructuring was to achieve efficiency, effectiveness, integrity, as well as integration of the Ministry of Health and Child Care with national institutions by removing insulating tendencies, limited or no coordination with national institutions. The specific objectives were to develop a new structure of the Ministry of Health and Child Care meant to achieve the above and to develop a funding model for the new structure as well as address conditions of service of health professionals,” said VP Chiwenga.

The restructuring of the health portfolio is following three stages. The first stage was to add a new top layer to the national health delivery system; the second stage was to develop an organised strategic department; and the third and final stage was to develop and adopt a sustainable funding model for the national healthcare system and develop conditions of services for the health staff to drive the new Ministry of Health and Child Care structure.

-State Media