Today morning, health personnel at Mabvuku Satellite Clinic turned away residents who had come for COVID-19 vaccination citing shortage of staff, a move that has been condemned by residents.
The group of more than 30 residents had come to get their second dose of Sinopharm vaccine with some coming as far as Eastview to get vaccinated.
“We were told by a nurse that they are short staffed because the nurse responsible for vaccination had no bus fare to come to work and we can come tomorrow”, said one of the men who was part of the group that wanted to be inoculated.
Another senior citizen lamented that she walked early in the morning to walk more than 5 kilometers only to be told to go back home.
“I stay in East view l woke up around 4am to come to the Council clinic to access my second dose only to be told there are no nurses this is unacceptable” ,said a devastated old woman who was part of people who were turned away.
The turning away of residents who want to get vaccinated from COVID 19 comes at a time when the local authority has been losing health personnel due to poor working conditions.
According to the City of Harare Health Department, the city has two hundred and forty two nurse vacancies due resignations.
The development has been viewed by residents as a violation of the right to health provided by the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The sad development comes at a time when the cases of Covid 19 are surging at an alarming rate and the Government of Zimbabwe is encouraging citizens of Zimbabwe to be vaccinated.
CHRA calls on the local authority to improve the working conditions of health personnel and the government to provide health grants to the local authority in order to improve health services.
Source: Combined Harare Residents Association
