Council mulls $1 health levy

By Nyasha Mlambo and Rejoy Masengedzero

Harare City Council is considering introducing a medical levy that will see households contributing $1 every month towards the fund.

Under the proposed scheme, each household will pay the money together with their monthly utility bill.

This was said by Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba at Wilkins Hospital yesterday where he donated groceries and baby clothes.

“We a exploring ways to reduce the burden on residents when they seek medical attention at our facilities and one of the ways we are discussing is introducing a dollar a month levy that will ensure that our health facilities are adequately resourced so that residents are not burdened with high medical bills whenever they seek treatment at our institutions.

“The dollar per month levy will be paid together with the monthly municipal bills that residents pay,” he said

The council runs a number of health facilities across the city although most of them are facing challenges that include lack of medicines.

Meanwhile, Cllr Gomba said the donation to Wilkins Hospital, which was made possible from the proceeds of the Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund, was a Christmas present for the patients at the hospital.

“We have targeted three council facilities and these are Edith Opperman Maternity Clinic, Rutsanana Polyclinic and Wilkins Hospital with this donation,” he said.

The Mayor toured the three institutions and commended the City Health Department for maintaining a good health service delivery system. The Herald