HTF funds locked in Met Bank Dr Parirenyatwa
Dr Parirenyatwa

Dr Parirenyatwa

Paidamoyo Chipunza recently in Murehwa
Over US$150 000 donated for health programmes under the Health Transition Fund (HTF) in Mashonaland East province is trapped in the struggling Metropolitan Bank since last year, compromising service delivery.
Mashonaland East acting provincial medical director Dr Ndaramo Kuretu told Health and Child Care Minister David Parirenyatwa during his visit to health facilities in the province that Makumbe, Murehwa and Uzumba Maramba Pfungwe districts were failing to access a combined $154 823 from the bank.

Dr Kuretu said Metropolitan Bank officials told them that they were experiencing a liquidity crunch.

“Makumbe district hospital is owed $51 000, Murehwa district hospital $49 823 and UMP $54 000 as from November 2013,” he said.
“Each clinic in these districts was supposed to get $3 000.”

Officials at Mutawatawa district hospital told Dr Parirenyatwa that the situation was so dire to the extent that they had reverted to charging pregnant women user-fees in violation of Government’s standing policy on free maternal health.

Minister Parirenyatwa ordered the officials to comply with Government policies, saying his officers would follow up the HTF funds locked up in Metropolitan Bank.

“Our teams must work on that,” he said.

“Metropolitan Bank has got a lot of Ministry of Health funds and we want that money.”

He said his ministry would approach the Ministry of Finance for advice on how to unlock the funds.

The minister, who was accompanied by representatives of different departments in his ministry, toured Mutawatawa and Murehwa district hospitals and also paid impromptu visits to Chitimbe Clinic and Murehwa Polyclinic.

“The purpose of this visit is to support them, raise the quality of services,” he said.

“Where there is no technician there should be a technician and where there is no pharmacist there should be a pharmacist.”

Minister Parirenyatwa said he was impressed with the situation at all the visited institutions.

Although officials at the institutions cited challenges of equipment, drugs, staffing and infrastructure, the minister said the situation was likely to improve soon owing to planned strategies.

The China-Exim Bank loan facility is expected to address equipment challenges, while the directive by President Mugabe recently to unfreeze health posts will address the staffing challenges, he said.

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