While addressing residents in Area Two of Old Pumula suburb in Bulawayo where he handed over 2 900 day-old chicks, Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko yesterday said corrupt officials at public hospitals such as Mpilo Central Hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals must be fired for overcharging patients.
Mphoko said,
Imali etshontshiweyo ayibusisekanga (stolen money is not blessed). There are thieves in our hospitals for instance Mpilo, UBH and Ingutsheni, professional thieves who are protected by law. There are consultation fees paid by patients when they visit hospitals . . . that money must be channelled towards buying medication but we don’t know where that money is going.
He said he was concerned by reports that some officials were sabotaging Government pharmacies at these institutions while running their own. He said,
The Government allows that each hospital runs a pharmacy. They then sabotage that pharmacy by running their own parallel pharmacies, fleecing old and vulnerable people who end up buying from the private pharmacies. We’ve what is called conflict of interest, it’s not permissible for an official to run a business the same as their employers.
Mphoko recently defended Higher Education Minister, Jonathan Moyo who allegedly stole $450 000 from Zimdef. A publication also quoted him saying that there was nothing wrong in stealing Government funds for ZANU PF activities.
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