NEW: Health ministry awaits additional disbursements from sugar tax to buy more hospital equipment

THE Ministry of Health and Child Care is awaiting release of additional funds from the sugar tax from Treasury to procure more equipment and machines for hospitals after the previous disbursement was used to buy equipment such as cancer machines for Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare and Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo, Parliament has heard. Separately, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Sleiman Timios Kwidini confirmed receipt of the funds and said the machines had been procured. He told Parliament that cancer machines are being installed at the two referral hospitals.

The machine that was at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has since been transferred to Masvingo General Hospital, while the one at Mpilo has been taken to Gweru Hospital. The Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Ministry of Health were directed by the Acting Speaker of Parliament to prepare comprehensive statements detailing how much has been raised from the sugar tax and how the funds had been utilised to date.