Doctors can only experiment with certain objects in their laboratories but they cannot experiment with the health of human beings. It is very dangerous,” Buhera West Member of Parliament Oliver Mandipaka said last week.
In his contribution to the debate on doctors saying they will demand cash upfront from 1 July, the former police officer said the Minister of Health should come and explain to the House what the problem really is.
“What I foresee is a situation where A is blaming B, B is blaming C and C is blaming Y for not remitting funds. So I think that is to the detriment of the people that we represent…….
“So, we pray that the Hon. Minister appears before this august House and gives us information on what is happening. Suffice to say members of the public must not, must not, I repeat, be inconvenienced in every aspect. We go to banks, there is no money. You want to be treated, someone says I cannot take your card. We cannot continue like that.”
Doctors who belong to the Zimbabwe Medical Association say they will start demanding cash from medical aid card holders from 1 July because the aid societies owe them $200 million.
Contribution:
HON. MANDIPAKA: Thank you very much Hon. Speaker. My debate is very short, brief and to the point but firstly, I must commend Hon. Maridadi for bringing this very important motion to this august House.
This motion is important because it speaks to the health of a nation. The health of a nation is a very critical phenomenon and I would want to implore the doctors who have given a statement to the press that they can only experiment with certain objects in their laboratories but cannot experiment with the health of human beings. It is very dangerous.
I want to believe that the Hon. Minister of Health should appear before this august House, give us information and clear explanation on what is really taking place. What I foresee is a situation where A is blaming B, B is blaming C and C is blaming Y for not remitting funds. So I think that is to the detriment of the people that we represent. I say Hon. Maridadi tabled an interesting motion because people out there look upon us to rise like Hon. Mudzuri said and challenge things that we think are not good for them and represent them fully.
This report does not make us happy at all. It brings panic, despondency and will make us fail to have faith in the administration of the health services sector. So, we pray that the Hon. Minister appears before this august House and gives us information on what is happening. Suffice to say members of the public must not, must not, I repeat, be inconvenienced in every aspect. We go to banks, there is no money. You want to be treated, someone says I cannot take your card. We cannot continue like that.
We are a nation with a lot of economic challenges and that impacts badly not on those people that at least get something but the poor, those that we represent from Buhera, Muzarabani, Mbire, Matabeleland South and North. I think it is very critical that the Executive looks at this matter as a matter of urgency and we get information on what is happening by next week. I thank you.
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