Paul Nyathi
State media this Monday ran an article in which under cover journalists from the media house managed to fraudulently acquire Covid-19 test certificates from staff at two Harare top goverment health centres, Harare Hospital and Chitungwiza Hospital.
According to the media, staff members at the two public hospitals and laboratories are charging between US$20 and US$40 to corruptly issue fake Covid-19 certificates to individuals, who need them for international travel, without conducting tests.
The corrupt syndicates at Chitungwiza Hospital and Harare’s Sally Mugabe Hospital involve laboratory staff, nurses and security guards at health facilities who then split the bribes.
Goverment recently Gazetted a US$65 charge for Covid-19 tests at its institutions with private centres charging a lot more than that up to about US$100 for the required PCR test.
But to avoid the inconvenience or cut costs those wishing to cross the borders have resorted to paying US$20 bribes to health staff in order to be issued with a fraudulent certificate showing they tested negative to Covid-19.
According to the Zimbabwean regulations following World Health Organisation guidelines, travellers must produce a PCR Covid-19 clearance certificate issued by a recognised health facility within 48 hours before leaving the country.
Cross-border traders, job-seekers and others desperate for cheaper certificates are the major clients of the corrupt syndicates.
Patients seeking admission to public and private hospitals are also being required to produce coronavirus test results before being taken in under a new policy introduced by the Health Ministry recently. The high cost of the test is likely to force the majority poor to die at home or rush to the “black market” for the test.
Health and Child Care deputy minister John Mangwiro confirmed the new policy in parliament recently.
Speaking to State Media on the corruption on test certificates, Mangwiro said those fingered in the illicit deals will face the full wrath of the law.
“I am now liaising with the permanentsecretary so that we start conducting investigations.”
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged members of the public to report such issues.
“Issues like that should be reported to the police so that investigations can be conducted,” he said.