Opposition Movement for Democratic Change leader Professor Welshman Ncube says that First Lady Grace Mugabe runs to Singapore at every little ailment while an average Zimbabwean woman runs to prophets who end up raping them claiming to be treating them.
Writing in his Fridays weekly publications entitled “Zimbabwe’s walking sick ” Professor Ncube describes how the ZANU PF government has failed to provide the country with affordable public health service while the elite seek medical treatment outside the country. The MDC leader describes the failures by government to provide basic public health as failing a Zimbabweans of their constitutional right as provided for in the constitution.
“…one of the primary functions of any government must be to secure the health of its citizens. This is why among our national objectives the constitution obligates the state to take all practical measures to ensure the provision of “basic accessible and adequate health services throughout Zimbabwe” and the Bill of Rights declares that every citizen has the “right to have access to basic health -care services, including reproductive health care services” and that none shall be “refused emergency medical treatment in any health -care institution, writes Professor Ncube.
According to the MDC leader, President Mugabe and his “cronies ” seek medical treatment outside the country and all but confirm the lack of confidence in the country’s health delivery system. Ncube accuses President Mugabe and his wife of rushing to Singapore for every little ailment without considering local treatment.
“To add another line to Zimbabwe’s health horror script, President Mugabe and his cronies despise local medical treatment to the extent that he commutes to the Far East every quarter for ‘eye treatment’.”
First Lady Grace Mugabe was not skated the wreath of the Professor as she also runs to the Far East for medical attention contrary to the highly acclaimed former First Lady the late Sally Mugabe who opted for local hospitals till her death at a Parirenyatwa Hospital a public hospital in Harare.
“The tragedy is that President Mugabe’s late wife, Sally Heyfron, was ‘allowed to die’ at Parirenyatwa while Grace Mugabe flies to Singapore, China or Dubai at the shortest possible opportunity and at the slightest ailment. Former ZANU PF top dog Cephas Msipa once commented that his colleagues do not even bother to experience the professionalism of local medical treatment.”
In one of his most hard hitting publications of his weekly writings, Ncube condemns the government’s poor prioritisation for the fall in the health system which sees many Zimbabweans particularly women come to realities of unheard of experience in pursuit of health services.
“Millions of dollars are spent on large government delegations overseas to sign invisible ‘mega deals’ as women deliver still born children on floors in dark, cold rural clinics. It is a tragedy of mammoth proportions.”
“Many Zimbabweans have turned to traditional healers and ‘Pentecostal prophets’ for health relief, some women and teenage girls exposed to rape by bearded false prophets dressed in white and carrying some fake sticks.
Professor Ncube promises Zimbabweans that his MDC party holds the solution to the country’s health delivery system.
“My party, the MDC believes that a devolved service delivery framework will guarantee health care sustainability and respond effectively to the conditions of virtual collapse and widespread dysfunction in health care infrastructure. Our National Health Care Strategy will be founded on new, innovative ways and approaches to sustainable long-term funding and resource mobilisation for the health sector. The MDC will fulfill, protect and promote the constitutional right of all Zimbabwean citizens to have access to affordable basic health care services as we are of the firm belief that the right to access health care must be realized across society so that those who need care are able to access it regardless of who or where they are or their ability to pay.”
“We will promote the increased role and contributions of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), traditional medical interventions and the value of herbal medicines to increase choice and health care diversity.”