Mthuli Says Govt Has Engaged EU For Assistance To Build 24 Hospitals
26 March 2021
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By Jane Mlambo | Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube has revealed Government plans to build 24 new district hospitals and has already engaged the European Union for support.

Speaking after meeting the EU Ambassador Timo Olkkonen who visited Health minister Constantino Chiwenga yesterday, Mthuli Ncube said Government would work with the EU to come up with a hybrid model to manage resources.

“Already when we look at the implementation of last year’s Budget, we will meet the Abuja targets of 15 percent spending on the health sector because of the response to Covid-19,” he said.

Prof Ncube said improved access to health services by citizens was important and the EU had been interested in discussing how it could support a national health insurance scheme.

“We will work together with the EU on ways of coming up with some hybrid models to make sure that resources that they provide can be managed in a way that both sides have full transparency and accountability,” he said.

Prof Ncube said the financing by the EU was making an impact in communities, but Zimbabwe might not be able to fully measure that impact if there was no co-management of resources.

Ambassador Olkkonen said the meeting had provided a good platform to exchange notes on various issues. He said the EU was also supporting Zimbabwe’s response to the Covid-19.

“We are also supporting Zimbabwe in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic through the Health Development Fund and also for humanitarian aid we have been channelling funds to the response to the pandemic,” he said.