Nigeria: On the 28th of October 2022, The Combined Harare Residents Association conducted a tour of the Mabvuku Enhanced Poly Clinic. The tour was graced with officials from the Parliament of Zimbabwe, The Ministry of Local Government Public Works and National Housing, Harare City Council Health Department, Women and Law in Southern Africa and the Education, Health and Housing Community Services Committee.Â
The objective of the tour was to allow stakeholders to have an appreciation of the state of healthcare services provision at Mabvuku Enhanced Poly Clinic and to come up with informed solutions and recommendations for improving the healthcare service provision.
This tour comes at a time when the state of health care service provision offered in City of Harare Council Clinics is deteriorating and has seen pregnant women lamenting over ill-treatment, psychological torture and alleged corruption by health personnel.
During pre-tour discussions, residents representative Ms Prudence Hanyani raised concerns over the inaccessibility of birth records, shortage of medicines and the negligence by health workers during health care service provision. While Mabvuku Poly Clinic, Dr Wilbert Bara and the Sister in Charge, Ms Wood, highlighted that the challenges faced at the clinic emanate from the shortage of health workers, especially midwives and health experts, due to health staff migration and low health staff remunerations, shortages of medicines, inefficient equipment, municipal police officers who allegedly harass patients at the gate and unreliable power sources at the clinic.
Moreover, the Gender Focal Person, Ms Mujeni from the Ministry of Local Government Public Works and Housing, highlighted that a report for all the challenges raised would be submitted to the Ministry, especially on health personnel shortages at council clinics and their remuneration. She added that Council must put disciplinary measures against those found on the wrong side of the law.
However, members present resolved that:
i. The Mabvuku Enhanced Poly Clinic Health Centre Committee Chairperson should produce a document with a request for critical things that need urgent intervention to improve health service provision at the clinic and engage community members and other stakeholders for assistance.
ii. The Ministry of Local Government Gender Focal Person will report back and make recommendations on health personnel shortages and remunerations.
ii. Residents must be encouraged to blow the whistle or even to write to ZACC on corruption by health personnel at the clinic.
iii. The Sister in Charge at the Poly Clinic must increase supervision of health personnel, i.e. the wearing of name tags to be mandatory and compulsory for all health personnel on duty at the clinic.
iv. Internal warnings and disciplinary measures to be issued to those found on the wrong side of the law.
v. The Member of Parliament should push for the Registrar General Office to be opened at Mabvuku Poly Clinic to make birth records available and for them to be given on a daily basis.