AUGUST was characterised by rising political temperatures and uncertainty as the nation waited for August 23-24 harmonised elections.
It was a hive of activity for political activists as campaigning was at its peak.
The business environment was not as companionable as expected as many people were not liquid which affected business operations.
What I admired most was the peace that prevailed in the country albeit isolated pockets of politically-motivated violence. Congratulations to the victors!
It will not be long before the President of Zimbabwe announces his Cabinet which should bring hope to many citizens of this country.
The previous Cabinet had a mixture of good, sedulous and godawful office-bearers and it is time the President considered meritocracy ahead of patronage.
It will be good if new faces are included in the Cabinet as that will bring confidence in the electorate that is hoping for better standards of living, economic development, improved social services, stable micro and macro-economic environments among other things.
Corruption is a scourge in our country and it should be nipped in the bud if the country is to thrive in the next five years.
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So much has been said in the health, agriculture, education and transport sectors of which minimal action has been taken against perpetrators of corruption.
The scourge is threatening to bring many government departments to a standstill.
The Vehicle Inspection Department was at the centre of a corruption storm.
The health sector was immersed in corruption especially on tenders.
The Lands ministry was marred by graft allegations in the allocation of land.
The health sector has a lot of expectations and it is not a secret that health and development are symbiotic by nature.
Whoever will be appointed to head the sensitive Health ministry should take cognisance of the issues bedevilling the sector if our health system is to improve.
In the year 2007, the World Health Organisation came up with six building blocks for a sound health delivery system.
Health service delivery, health workforce, financing, leadership, drugs and medicines and information systems are all critical components that should remain standing if any nation is to have a sound health system.
The challenges we face as Zimbabwe can be traced to the six building blocks, chief among them being a demotivated health workforce and poor health financing.
Zimbabwe continues to lose critical staff to greener pastures with more than 5 000 healthcare workers having left the country in the last 18 months.
It is time for coming up with good strategies in a bid to curb the nauseating brain drain that is threatening health service delivery in the country. Where will we be as a country in the next three years if the brain drain continues unabated?
Health financing should be increased significantly if we are to be somewhere as a country.
The incoming Finance minister should know that the 2023 budget allocation of 11,2% is not enough to cover basic health service delivery.
This is contrary to the Abuja Declaration of 2000 that stipulates that a health system can only stand when at least 15% of the total budgeted has been allocated to the sector.
Health financing should, therefore, be improved and it is not pleasing to note that many public hospitals are experiencing shortages of basic sundries like gloves, syringes, suture material, cannulae, fluid giving sets, catheters, among many others.
Patients are, therefore, required to purchase the items, a development which is not only time-wasting but also retrogressive.
With public health matters taking a toll on many people in the country, primary healthcare should be strengthened.
Theatres should be well-equipped as well as public pharmacies that should at least have basic life-saving drugs.
The country should move in the right direction for the betterment of everyone.
Let unity of purpose prevail as the country is in the midst of implementing the National Development Strategy 1 which runs from 2021 to 2025. Political will is all that is required to achieve Vision 2030.
Johannes Marisa is president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe. He writes here in his personal capacity.
