ZIMBABWE’S HEALTH SYSTEM COLLAPSES UNDER ZANU PF’S WATCH

Zimbabwe’s health sector is broken. Everyone knows it, but the situation keeps getting worse. After 45 years of Zanu PF rule, Zimbabwe is now going backwards. A country that once had good hospitals is now struggling to provide even the most basic care. A shocking photo recently went viral — a hospital patient with a broken limb, wrapped in a cardboard box and tape. This image says everything. It shows just how far Zimbabwe has fallen.

Hospitals no longer have proper medical supplies. They lack bandages, painkillers, gloves, and even clean bedding. Medicines are hard to find. Doctors and nurses are leaving the country every day. They are moving to places like the UK, South Africa, and Australia where they can be paid better and work in safer, well-equipped hospitals. Zimbabwe is losing its skilled health workers, and there are few specialists left to treat the sick.

Many hospitals have now turned into places where people go to die, not to get better. Conditions are terrible. Diseases that are easy to treat in other countries are killing people in Zimbabwe. Something as small as an infection or a broken bone can become deadly.

This is not a new problem. Back in 2008, Zimbabwe had a terrible cholera outbreak that killed over 4,000 people. That outbreak lasted nearly a year. You would think the government learned something, but between 2023 and 2024, more than 700 people died from cholera again. It’s the same disease, the same cause — dirty water and poor health systems — and the same result. People dying because the government failed to act.

The problem is made worse by poor funding. Zimbabwe’s government does not spend enough on hospitals and health services. Instead, it relies on money from donors. Countries like the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Sweden are helping to keep the health sector alive. They send money through the Health Development Fund, managed by UNICEF. This money helps support mothers and children, but it cannot cover the whole system.

Other organisations like the Global Fund and the United Nations Population Fund also provide support. But still, almost 25% of Zimbabwe’s health budget comes from donors. That is not sustainable. Most of this money goes toward fighting HIV/Aids, malaria, and improving maternal health. It does not cover other areas like cancer treatment, surgeries, or chronic diseases.

To make things worse, the United States is now cutting back on its support through PEPFAR — a major health aid program. When that money stops coming, Zimbabwe’s already broken system will suffer even more. Thousands of people rely on that support for HIV treatment. Without it, many will die.

In rural areas, the situation is even more painful. People must walk long distances just to get to the nearest clinic. And when they arrive, there are no doctors, no nurses, no medicine — just empty buildings. This is a health disaster.

The truth is simple. Zanu PF has failed the people. After all these years in power, they have destroyed a system that once worked. The use of cardboard and tape in hospitals is not just poor service — it is national shame. It shows how far Zimbabwe has fallen. The government talks about progress, but what we see is suffering.

Zimbabwe’s health sector is dying. And so are the people. Unless something changes fast, this crisis will only get worse. The country is going backwards — and Zanu PF is to blame.