By Flata Kavinga
Kwekwe City Council is proposing to increase clinic consultation fees from US$3 to US$4 to sustain healthcare services amid the withdrawal of donor funding, Finance Director Rejoice Maweni-Dandira has said.
Speaking during the 2027 budget consultative meetings with ward development committees and ratepayers associations at the Civic Centre in Kwekwe, Maweni-Dandira said the proposed 33 percent increase would help council maintain its existing healthcare model and continue providing essential services.
She said the local authority was no longer receiving donor funding to run its clinics, raising concerns over the sustainability of services such as HIV and tuberculosis (TB) screening and viral load monitoring.
“We are no longer receiving donor funding to run our clinics. To allow continuity, we must continue to provide services,” she said.
“It doesn’t augur well for the provision of services such as checking viral load every six months to be stopped abruptly.”
Maweni-Dandira said council wanted to maintain access to essential health services while stepping up efforts to combat silicosis and reduce TB cases in Kwekwe, particularly among artisanal miners.
She said screening programmes required financial resources despite council’s commitment to providing some services free of charge.
“You imagine some of the illegal gold miners being asked to pay US$5 for TB screening or an X-ray to check for silicosis. We want to fight silicosis. We want to reduce TB incidences in Kwekwe,” she said.
Maweni-Dandira said council’s Health Committee had recommended the continuation of the services, emphasising the importance of protecting the health and lives of residents working in the mining sector.
She said the local authority was also considering purchasing protective clothing, including masks, for distribution to miners as part of efforts to raise awareness about occupational health risks.
“It will have been ideal for council to buy protective clothing such as masks and distribute these in mining areas,” she said.
Maweni-Dandira said her own family had been affected by the disease, recalling the death of her brother in Amaveni due to silicosis.
She said the experience had reinforced the need for preventive measures and community education, particularly among people working underground in mining operations.
The proposed increase, however, would require council to balance the need to finance healthcare services with residents’ ability to pay for them.
The 2027 budget consultations provide an opportunity for residents and stakeholders to contribute to council’s spending priorities and proposed revenue measures before the budget is finalised.
