FORTY-FIVE years on, the time for silence has passed. Every Zimbabwean, whether at home or in the diaspora, knows the painful truth: our health sector is crumbling. Hospitals without medicines, clinics without basic equipment and health workers without pay have become the norm, not the exception. The government has failed to protect one of the most fundamental rights of its people, access to quality healthcare. The consequences are visible, brutal and personal. We are watching our loved ones suffer and die, not from incurable diseases, but from treatable conditions that have been made deadly by neglect and mismanagement.
It is not enough to simply blame those in power. The truth is, if we continue to do nothing, we become complicity in their suffering. We must accept that if we wait for the government to fix this, it will never happen. Next time, it could be your brother, your sister, your child or even you. Zimbabweans have to come together and take ownership of the healthcare crisis. We must stop treating the health sector as someone else’s responsibility. It is ours, ndeyedu, geyethu.
The diaspora has a key role to play. We have thousands of skilled Zimbabwean doctors, nurses, pharmacists and health professionals scattered around the globe. Many want to give back to their country but do not know how. Meanwhile, those at home, entrepreneurs, churches, NGOs, communities and companies are waiting for direction and leadership. It is time to build bridges, create solutions and take co-ordinated action.
Let us come together to create a national health fund transparent, accountable and run by Zimbabweans for Zimbabweans. A fund that supports rural clinics, provides essential medicines and pays health workers decently. Let us work with trusted health professionals to guide resource distribution. Let us adopt clinics and hospitals in our hometowns. One clinic at a time, one ward at a time, we can begin to restore dignity to our people.
Technology can be our ally. We can set up telehealth programmes supported by the diaspora to train nurses and provide remote consultations. Zimbabwean engineers and technicians can repair and maintain critical equipment. Local businesses can sponsor wards or donate supplies. Each act, no matter how small, contributes to the bigger goal.
We must act now, with urgency and unity. This is not about politics. It is about saving lives. Our silence is killing us. Our inaction is a betrayal of future generations. We can no longer afford to wait or to hope someone else will fix it. We are the ones we have been waiting for.
Let us rise as true sons and daughters of Zimbabwe. Let us build a new path, one that shows the world that we are capable of compassion, innovation and unity. The solution lies not in government halls, but in the hearts and hands of ordinary Zimbabweans determined to make a difference.
The time to take charge is now. Will you be part of the solution? Share this and help with Zimbabwe's solutions.
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