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Health
disaster looms in Harare
Combined Harare
Residents Association (CHRA)
Extracted from The Resident, CHRA's monthly e-newsletter
July 06, 2007
RESIDENTS of Harare have
had nightmares whenever they visit municipal clinics and government
hospitals for medical attention.
The majority of the clinics
in Harare are temporarily closed and only helpful to those coming
for maternity and chronic illnesses. Municipal health staff is on
strike and there are no drugs.
Despite the fact that
municipal clinics are under-staffed and under-equipped in terms
of medicinal drugs and machinery, health charges have increased
by more than 400% and most residents in Harare cannot afford to
pay the new charges.
The current water and
power shortages have crippled the delivery of health services in
most hospitals and clinics. These cannot operate without power and
water.
Affected hospitals in
the past month include Harare Hospital, Edith Opperman Clinic and
most of the clinics in various suburbs.
The health sector has
been hit by massive resignations of qualified and experienced health
personnel due to poverty remuneration and inhumane working conditions,
leaving most of the health centres being manned by inexperienced
and demoralized staff.
CHRA is concerned by
the inaction of the government on this crisis facing residents and
health staff on a daily basis. Their excuse that they do not have
foreign currency to remunerate nurses and doctors, to purchase drugs
and equipment must be rejected by all progressive forces. The same
regime has managed to massage the egos of corrupt politicians and
businessmen, disguised as farmers by purchasing hundreds of tractors
for them.
The current crisis in
the health sector and elsewhere is symptomatic of the general collapse
of the country's economy at the hands of a despotic regime.
They believe that resources that have been diverted to fund political
corruption must be channelled to the health and education sectors.
There are companies that
are offering special services to all senior citizens.
Most commercial banks
and Building Societies are offering free accounts to senior citizens
where they do not pay service charges.
Some of these banks are:
ZB Bank, The Jewel Bank (CBZ), Beverley Building Society, Stanbic
Bank and CABS Building Society.
Senior citizens who bank
with CABS Building Society will pay only $500 for a Gold Class account
instead of the usual $50 000. Produce a positive National Identity
Card and open an account as a senior citizen.
ZUPCO allows senior citizens
to board their buses for free during off-peak hours- between 9am
and 4pm.
OK Zimbabwe set aside
a day every month for senior citizens to come and shop at OK Supermarkets
and they will be given 10% discount on the total cost of the groceries.
Senior citizens are given
OK identity cards with their pictures to benefit from this service.
The City of Harare has
come up with a form, titled "Application for pensioners rates,
supplementary and refuse charges exemption" which is available
at all 25 district offices for a cost of $10 000 to pensioners.
NB The minimum cut off
point for senior citizens in Zimbabwe is 65 years.
Visit the CHRA
fact
sheet
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