Zimbabweans Fume Over Bona Mugabe Seeking Healthcare in Middle East
Blessing Chebundo, former chairperson of the health parliamentary portfolio committee, tells Studio 7 Bona Mugabe should have been asked to give birth at a local hospital.
WASHINGTON DC — Some Zimbabweans say President Mugabe’s daughter, Bona, should have been admitted to a local hospital to deliver a baby instead of being allegedly flown by her parents and in-laws to get healthcare in the Middle East. They say this is a clear indication that top state officials and their relatives are shunning the country’s healthcare facilities currently facing degradation due to lack of manpower, shortages of drugs and related issues. President Mugabe told mourners at the funeral wake of the late Zanu PF Politburo member, Victoria Chitepo, that his daughter is expected to give birth soon in Dubai. First Lady Grace Mugabe is reportedly in Dubai with other family members. Blessing Chebundo, former chairperson of the health parliamentary portfolio committee, told VOA Studio 7 that Bona Mugabe Makore should have been asked to give birth at a local hospital. Studio 7 was unable to get a comment from presidential spokesman, George Charamba, and Health Minister David Parirenyatwa as they were not responding to calls on their mobile phones. In a related development, doctors have gone back to work after signing new state contracts. They were refusing to sign the contracts which they say they violated their rights. The doctors’ industrial action had led to the closure of some critical departments at Harare and Mpilo hospitals. The two hospitals are now fully operational. Dr. Martin Mlilo, one of the affected doctors, said though they ended up signing the controversial employment contract papers, they benefited from the industrial action because the government gave in to some of their demands. “The doctors actually realized that the people who were suffering a lot were their relatives who were dying because of lack of care and the unavailability of doctors,” said Dr. Mlilo. He said most doctors started their work on April 5after they realized that the government was not willing to meet all their demands.