Zimbabwe Plans to Train 7,000 Health Workers Annually to Address Critical Shortage

Strategic Insights -

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora has announced plans to train 7,000 health workers every year as the government aims to double the national health workforce by 2030. Zimbabwe's population has more than doubled since independence, from 7.5 million to 16.5 million, but the number of health workers has not kept pace. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 46 health workers per 100,000 people, but Zimbabwe has only 26. The ministry is working to address staffing shortages, particularly in specialist areas such as psychiatry and radiology.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Zimbabwean government aims to double the national health workforce by 2030 through a plan to train 7,000 health workers annually.
  • The current ratio of health workers to population is 26 per 100,000 people, far below the World Health Organization's recommended minimum of 46.
  • Specialist doctors, such as radiologists and pathologists, are the scarcest resource, with major hospitals like United Bulawayo Hospitals lacking these specialists.
  • Mental health staffing is also inadequate, with Ingutsheni Central Hospital having only two specialist psychiatrists serving a hospital with 723 employees.
  • The "use it or lose it" policy has resulted in the loss of four posts to other institutions, exacerbating the shortage of specialists.
  • The University of Zimbabwe has been training health workers, including four general medical officers who will become psychiatrists in the next three years.
  • The ministry is working to address retention challenges by improving remuneration and working conditions to prevent trained workers from leaving the country.

Statistics:

  • Zimbabwe's population has increased from 7.5 million at independence to 16.5 million in the latest census.
  • The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of 46 health workers per 100,000 people, but Zimbabwe has only 26.
  • The United Bulawayo Hospitals have no radiologist or pathologist.
  • Ingutsheni Central Hospital has only two specialist psychiatrists for a hospital with 723 employees.
  • 15 mental health nurses are trained annually, which is inadequate to meet demand.
  • The ministry aims to train 7,000 health workers per year to meet the shortage.

Sources:

  • An interview with Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora on the sidelines of a tour of hospitals in Bulawayo.
  • An interview with Ingutsheni chief medical officer Dr Nemache Mawere.