Story by Mhlomuli Ncube
GOVERNMENT has allocated US$30 million towards the acquisition and installation of cancer treatment equipment at Zimbabwe’s two largest public referral hospitals, Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo and Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare.
The investment marks a significant milestone in the country’s Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM) strategy, with funding being drawn from revenue generated through the national sugar tax on beverages.
The newly acquired equipment includes a low-energy radiotherapy machine, which has already been installed at Mpilo Group of Hospitals for the treatment of superficial cancers. Heavily shielded bunkers have also been prepared to house high-energy machines that have since arrived in the country.
“So far, we have spent about US$30 million to acquire these machines and for their installation. And we will keep going because the sugar content tax in beverages is being paid all the time.
“It would be wonderful to have the entire array of equipment, machinery, and technology to deal with all manner of cancers that we see, so that we can offer comprehensive radiotherapy services at least in our key hospitals, Mpilo and also Parirenyatwa.
“But as we said earlier, the equipment that was here will be moved to other hospitals, so we will keep spreading the capacity for dealing with cancer right across the country,” Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, Professor Mthuli Ncube said.
Professor Ncube said investment in healthcare should be viewed as a catalyst for economic growth, noting that improved health outcomes contribute directly to national productivity.
“You know, health is not just expenditure, it is an investment. When we invest in a healthy population, we are investing in growth in the first place.
“So clearly, investment is not expenditure; it is an investment, and it is in line with our NDS 2.
“But also the infrastructure upgrade, the act of constructing this infrastructure is adding to economic growth. It’s creating jobs, rather than just upgrading the quality of the health facility. It’s a job-creating activity, and that is in line with our mantra of making sure that we don’t leave anybody behind.
