Harare Correspondent
Harare \u2013 President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Monday visited Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Sally Mugabe Hospital, and the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) warehouse in what he described as an effort to “gain a clearer understanding” of Zimbabwe\u2019s deteriorating public health sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The visits follow growing public anger over the dire state of public healthcare, where crumbling infrastructure, severe drug shortages, and underpaid workers have left hospitals struggling to function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Crisis Long Ignored<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mnangagwa\u2019s tour comes weeks after Youth Empowerment Minister Tinoda Machakaire publicly challenged him to witness the crisis firsthand, posting on social media about the appalling conditions in public hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI visited Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe Hospitals, as well as the NatPharm warehouse, to gain a clearer understanding of the current state of our public health services,\u201d Mnangagwa wrote on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStrengthening healthcare delivery remains a central focus of the Second Republic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, critics have dismissed the visit as a public relations exercise, arguing that the government has long ignored repeated warnings from healthcare workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hospitals on the Brink<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zimbabwe\u2019s public hospitals have faced years of neglect, with doctors and nurses staging strikes over poor salaries and working conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) last week issued an urgent plea for government intervention, warning that preventable deaths are increasing due to the crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur hospitals have become death traps,\u201d said a senior nurse at Parirenyatwa who spoke on condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe lack basic medicines, equipment is broken, and morale is at an all-time low. The President\u2019s visit won\u2019t change anything unless real action follows.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Public Backlash Over \u201cPropaganda\u201d Praise<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While state media praised Mnangagwa for his “hands-on approach,” many Zimbabweans expressed frustration, arguing that the President should not be applauded for acknowledging a crisis his government failed to address for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a scathing open letter circulating online, a citizen identified as Taffy wrote:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSir, you did a good thing by visiting our central hospitals yesterday. I am, however, disappointed by how your visit has been turned into a propaganda campaign. Must we thank you for simply witnessing the incompetence of your government?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The letter continued:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI refuse to congratulate you for finally \u2018discovering\u2019 what ordinary people endure daily. This is how low the bar has been set\u2014you\u2019re now being celebrated for discovering your own failures.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Calls for Immediate Action<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Health experts and activists say Mnangagwa\u2019s visit must be followed by tangible reforms, including increased funding, better salaries for medical staff, and urgent infrastructure repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA tour is not enough,\u201d said Dr. Norman Matara of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need a clear, funded plan to revive our healthcare system. Without that, these visits are just optics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As pressure mounts, the government has yet to announce concrete steps to address the crisis. For now, patients and healthcare workers remain skeptical, waiting to see if the President\u2019s “discovery” will translate into real change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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