The government has dismissed social media reports claiming that two health centres in Matabeleland had shut down after staff members tested positive to COVID-19 pandemic.
Appearing before the parliamentary portfolio committee on health and child care Monday morning, the Director of Epidemiology in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Portia Manangazira said they were still on the ground finding out what happened while denying that the health centres had shut down.
“We still do have an official report on the closure of the health centres. So far we only heard it on social media and we are still to go on the ground and find out what is really happening,” she said.
Dr Manangazira was responding to a question from Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Health and Child Care, Dr Ruth Labode who wanted to know what government was doing to ensure COVID-19 treatment in those areas is not interrupted by the closure of the two health centres.
“We have been seeing the memo circulating on social media and we are wondering should the health centres be closed or they should just fumigate and rotate the staff so that they continue delivering health services?” questioned Dr Labode.
A memo signed by the District Medical Officer for Lupane, Dr Gorge Mutizira announcing the closure of Lupane Rural Health Centre and Jotsholo Rural Health Centre from 22nd of January to the 4th of February, made rounds on social media.
According to the memo, 10 staff members from Lupane Health Centre and one from Jotsholo Rural Health Centre had tested positive to COVID-19 prompting all workers to go into isolation.
