By Dr Masimba Mavaza
Millions of people in Zimbabwe are unable to get medical treatment as costs have skyrocketed. The demand of payment in forex has shown serious traits of extortion.
Only a lucky few have health insurance, while millions find themselves without rising inflation and corruption in Zimbabwe means healthcare is now a luxury only few can afford.
In twenty four hours I have lost over fifteen people who are known to me personally and to the country.
On the 30th December 2020 the nation lost five important people to COVID 19. These were all people known to me personally.
This left me completely confused and feel cornered.
1. Gibson Gondo
2. Chester CEO Astra Zim
3. Karen Dhliwayo ex Chibuku-Zim
4. Thompson Dondo Impala car Hire -Zim
5. Masimba Tawengwa -Zim on a visit from UK
6. Mrs Shamuyarira the wife of the former late minister and national hero
7. Worthwhile Mugabe a friend and businessman from Bulawayo.
8. Emmanuel Chimwanda former Police Assistant Commissioner
9. John Dzadambuka a socialite
10. George Toropa
There are plenty more whose names miss the media and they are not statics. The sad thing on all this is that all the above except one died in a very expensive hospital. Masimba died in Arundel ten minutes after he was put on a ventilator. Not before they took two thousand five hundred US dollars from him. There will be no refund coming from the Hospital. Many people are paying for a place to die not to be healed.
My friend arrived at one of those affluent hospitals he was finding it difficult to breathe. He had been driving around the town looking for a hospital with a bed. The whole town all hospitals were full. This is not fiction hospitals in Zimbabwe are full. At this affluent hospital he was put in a stretcher bed where he waited for his turn to be treated. He was gasping and groaning in pain. He whispered to his wife “dear I don’t think I will make it”. He then closed his eyes. The wife screamed in pain and agony. Nurses were moved into action and wheeled his bed in a private room.
Within seconds a ventilator was found. It was placed in his nose and mouth. His breathing was now being assisted by this machine. He gave an agonising frown it was clear he is fighting for his life. The fight was tough he could not stand it. The wife was pulled aside by the receptionist. They asked her to make the payment before a doctor comes to see him. She had phoned around and she had the funds needed. She paid four thousand five hundred for a bad. When she walked back to the room her husband was she felt her heart popping out her chest became heavier. Her legs gave in and she heaped on the ground prostate. Her husband was gone. COVID 19 had won the battle of life.
The evil thing which will leave forever was the fact that the hospital demanded exorbitant fees knowing very well that there was no hope. The prices are extortionous and knee shaking.
The country must have guidelines and measures to control these private hospitals. The directors of these hospitals must be compassionate. They are all pirates their minds is fixed on money. In this time like this one should take a step away from profiteering and join the war against COVID 19.
The government must impose a price cap on covid treatment, bearing in mind that while there should be a limit to the charges, the cost of treating co-morbidities is pushing up hospitalization costs in many cases.
“Typically, the standard treatment for covid 19 starts with CCQ plus Azee or ivermectin plus doxycycline but after depending on the clinical condition of the patient the treatment changes,” Hospitals must never be motivated by profits. Their core calling must be to heal and to save. In some cases patients are being charged on the basis of actuals. “The day charge includes various procedures. Certain procedures based on patient need are as per the actual cost (which are not capped). The hospitals must cooperate with the government in tiding over this period of crisis and rendering their support to fight covid 19.”
Private hospitals maintain that the length of the patient’s stay needs to be taken into account for estimating the total bill. “What needs to be understood is that there is no standardized or set treatment for covid-19.
It varies for each patient depending on their age, treatment administered, severity associated co-morbidities (if any), it is difficult to standardize the charges for covid-19 patients.”
Hospitals maintain that covid-19 patients require continuous monitoring thereby increasing the number of healthcare workers required to attend to them. But this is what they are sworn to do. The pricing is inhumane and at this rate we will never control this pandemic.
It is a fact in Zimbabwe, the public health system is the largest provider of health-care services, complemented by Mission hospitals and health care delivered by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). There has been a reduction in health-care budgets, affecting provision at all levels. In this pandemic the country’s poorest have suffered the most, with the rich being ripped off in private hospitals and the leaders queuing abroad for treatment. The country’s health sector faces numerous challenges: a shortage of skilled professionals and health-care staff; an eroded infrastructure with ill-equipped hospitals, many lacking functional laundry machines, kitchen equipment and boilers; and a lack of essential medicines and commodities. With all these challenges we have the super rich building private hospitals never intending to help where the country limps. They still want to milk blood out of the bleeding economy and suffering masses. A health-sector needs another recovery plan, which seeks to reverse the decline in the performance of the country’s health delivery system, especially as it impacted on universal access to primary health care by vulnerable populations. This spells disaster to any fight against COVID. The private hospitals must give back to the nation. They became rich from these same people.
This 2021 we must have a plan which includes tackling levels of health financing and thus improving access to basic medical equipment and essential medicines; taking steps to attract and retain health workers in the public health sector; and laying the foundations for an investment policy to fund the rehabilitation and development of the health-services infrastructure. Zimbabwe must intervene we have jackals out there masquerading as hospitals of great reputation. While they are vampires with teeth and claws dripping of the blood of people.
If COVID 19 is a pandemic not endemic then the nation must invoke extra powers to control all health providers. COVID 19 must be faced as a national enemy. We can not allow these private hospitals to maximise profits by maximising deaths of the people.
The beginning of 2021 has brought heightened apprehension of the global Covid 19 pandemic. When cases escalated in the world with a cummulative fatalities encroaching 2 million there was a feeling in the country that we had been spared the worst in 2020. Recent developments within the region especially in South Africa have created a tsunami of a problem in the escalation of Covid cases and fatalities. The festive interactions and misrepresentation of people’s conditions and careless behaviour. The fact that Covid has been haunting the world for long does not mandate society to disregard the simple protective guidelines. As long as we remain in the trenches fighting Covid 19 we need to remain in the armour in order to minimise harm. Therefore, everyone has a duty of care to themselves and to everyone in society. Charges go up often because while treating a covid-19 patient the hospital empties the concerned ward but the staff payments for that particular ward continues,” At each and every hospital there are far more patients and beds have become scarce. Despite being a private hospital Even the staff has to be kept in isolation, Doctors are taking high pay. Some do charge 2500 US dollars per day and range anywhere up to ten thousand US dollars.
In Harare , treatment in private hospitals is for the rich ones. They are not part of the war against COVID 19. it is the poor ones who suffer the consequences
Zimbabwe must appoint a committee to look at instances of high rates charged by some private hospitals.
While health workers are on the frontline, everyone else is duty bound to support them by being considerate and taking precautions. The time is now when everyone has to face up to what they can do for the good of the nation instead of focusing on blame apportionment. We all need to unite from every walk of life as Zimbabweans and face the common enemy with vigour. There is always the temptation to politicise any challenging situation to score. We have no scores to settle as a nation over the pandemic as we are all at risk. The call is for us all to come together as responsible leaders and citizens to save the nation. Our national call is simple, “Use every weapon available, natural means, clinical means. Social discipline and community support, etc remain critical.” This is total war.
The health system of the country is heavily strained and if we are to rely on it as the sole mechanism to conquer the pandemic we cannot win. At the same time if profiteering is an aspiration for some people, it simply is inhuman to see prospects of death as a gold mine. Sanity has to prevail. The national call demands responsibility for all. Extra prohibitive measures are needed in confronting the evil, it is important that such actions are robust:
In view of the aforesaid the political challenge is to make the big call for taking responsibility and also ensuring that every possible facility that can serve is availed to help in the pandemic. The call is without prejudice. Every community, every political party, religious group and every individual, young or old to rise to the occasion and face up to public enemy number one. We need prayer, action and responsible behaviour to extinguish this evil. Our united collective responsibility cannot fail.
Zimbabwe must no be held at ransom by these hospital barons. Health barons.