Doctors in the private sector have called for assistance with medical equipment including personal protective equipment (PPEs) which is now inadequate due to large numbers of patients seeking medical attention.
Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association interim president Johannes Marisa said the citizenry is being forced by the collapsed public health system to seek medical assistance in private health institutions. Speaking to NewsDay, Marisa said:
Private practice has equally been affected by issues pertaining to PPE and finances. So many surgeries and clinics have found the going very tough in terms of patient management as patients flock to private practice as public health institutions are dysfunctional at the moment.
It is unfortunate that with the unavailability of affordable and easy testing, many are going for long without being detected of COVID-19, making it a life-threatening risk on the part of the private practitioners who have lately assumed the number one position on the frontliners’ list,” he said.
He appealed to the corporate world to help with PPEs to medical staff regardless of whether one is in private or public practice.
