Zimbabwe COVID 19 Lack of Preparedness: Looming Tragedy for the Poor
We extend our deepest condolences to the family and community of Zororo Makamba. His sad death this week as the first casualty of Coronavirus in Zimbabwe was completely unnecessary and should serve as a wakeup call to the whole nation. The horrendous circumstances of his tragic death exposed the total lack of preparedness of our government in the face of an impending unprecedented health crisis.
The battle against the deadly COVID-19 is exposing broken institutional systems in our country. This is exacerbated by longstanding government mismanagement and neglect of the health infrastructure and other critical social services.
How can a whole government so dismally fail to manage just two confirmed cases of COVID-19?
And out of the two, one dies? This is unacceptable!
Zororo’s case lays bare the negligent state of our hospitals: lack of appropriate facilities; lack of basic equipment; lack of protective clothing for health workers; lack of well trained staff; lack of motivation among health workers; and a clear lack of a well-established protocol on how to
handle cases and communicate effectively with affected families and the nation at large. In short, our public hospitals are deaths traps, and surely the worst is yet to come, and it is us the poor majority who are most vulnerable and at risk. We are calling on the government to take immediate action to rectify this situation to avert a carnage.
We demand resource allocation be prioritized to urgently acquire life-saving medical equipment, medicines and protective clothing for health workers. Millions have been spent importing luxury vehicles for the wealthy elite, and flying around the world in chartered luxury jets, whilst a shoe-string budget was allocated towards social services including health. The estimated price of a ventilator has been pegged at USD 25,000.00 – half the price of a standard SUV vehicle allocated to political elites. This is unacceptable.
Furthermore, the state in our streets does not reflect the urgency that is needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People are now used to the emptiness of the government’s pronouncements and no one is listening. This situation also calls for citizen responsibility and local action. Social distancing, awareness raising, sanitization and other preventative measures must be community organized to achieve the intended impact.
We can’t wait for this government. If the virus is to spread uncontrollably, we have no one to blame but ourselves and the leaders who have not given heed to the imperative to take urgent and sufficient steps to protect the general citizenry. The time for leadership is now.
We applaud citizen initiatives that are already underway, and we urge everyone to render support. Please visit Citizens’ Manifesto website (www.citizens-manifesto.org) and other online platforms for information on the different citizens initiatives and how you can support. We need to support local community solutions to safeguarding our communities.
Finally, the current situation must serve as a lesson to our political elites. With every country closing its borders, the option to seek better treatment outside our borders is no more. The Government must face its legacy and begin investing in public health for all now. We are all in
the same boat – and we sink or float together. Health delivery facilities need to be equipped as lifesaving centers. We will continue to call on the government of Zimbabwe to prioritize its citizens for once and show some leadership in preparing our society against the greatest global health crisis of our time.
#EnoughIsEnough
#SununguraZimbabwe
#ItsAndItsNow
