MARTIN MAWAYA
GWERU-Gweru City Council has significantly increased its health budget allocation for the 2025 financial year to ZwG 924,375,734 to the health department, compared to ZwG 306,990,701 in the previous year.
The move by the city of progress is meant to strengthen health services and achieve universal health coverage.
Speaking during a budget tracking meeting organized by Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) last Friday, council’s finance deputy director, Owen Masimba, said the local authority has listened to residents’ concerns and prioritized health services in its budget.
“Your council has focused on the health and well-being of its residents by increasing the health budget for 2025. It has invested in emergency services and sanitation, with the main focus on improving citizens’ health and hygiene,” Masimba said.
He explained that the increased funding will enable the council to strengthen medication management, improve the maternity wards, and solarize all its health institutions.
This investment, Masimba said is aimed at addressing power blackouts and enhancing the lighting at the clinics, which will particularly benefit expecting mothers.
Cornilia Selipiwe, the executive director of GRRA, welcomed the council’s move to increase health funding and urged residents to closely monitor the budget spending, especially in the education and health departments.
Mtapa resident, Spiwe Nzira commended the local authority’s decision to prioritize health services in its 2025 budget, adding that it “demonstrates its commitment to improving the well-being of its residents and enhance health service delivery”.
However, council has also raised medical fees at its clinics.
The consultation fee for outpatient adults has been increased from US$5.20 to US$10, while children aged 6 to 10 years will now pay US$8, up from US$2.08.
Additionally, the drug administration fees have also been increased from US$2.08 to US$6.
