The Zimbabwean Health minister has declared the nation’s cholera outbreak a national emergency and has appealed for outside help. The epidemic has claimed more than 565 lives with 12,500 people infected by the disease. 100 doctors and nurses were protesting for better pay and working conditions in a nation suffering from both the cholera outbreak and an economy with an inflation rate of 230mil %. The health workers were clubbed and arrested by Zimbabwean police officers, a government ministry owned by President Robert Mugabe. This dysfunctional government lacks the chemicals to purify the water supply, which allows cholera to spread through the bacteria. Many businesses have shut down because of sanitation problems.
Many hospitals are closed because they are in urgent need of drugs, food, and equipment. They are also short on staff since most people do not come to work anymore. The money and energy used getting to work and working a full day does not amount to the detrimental paychecks. The conditions in hospitals and clinics have been steadily deteriorating since most are without basic health institutional needs like drugs, adequate water and sanitation, safe clothing gear, medical equipment, and support services. The health system was already in collapse when the cholera epidemic struck.
The best solution is to get Robert Mugabe out of office and out of power. He is destroying an entire nation due to keeping himself in power. The power-sharing agreement between Mugabe and Tsvangirai was hailed as a breakthrough but vital details were never clear and the arrangement is further stymied by disputed over who will control central government ministries. There needs to be pressure from the US and Great Britain as well as pressure from the surrounding African nations for something to be done about the staggering conditions Mugabe has caused. If this cholera outbreak is not contained, then it will undoubtedly affect the southern nations by flowing downstream.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/world/africa/05zimbabwe.html?ref=africa
No comments:
Post a Comment