Published 19 November 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2637
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2637

Views & Reviews

Personal View

Zimbabwe’s health system is now in a state of collapse

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

A year is not long in the death of a nation, but I was stunned by how much Zimbabwe had changed in the past 12 months. The healthcare system is in a state of collapse. The whole country is being destroyed.

Zimbabweans stoically put up with the extreme living difficulties caused by their government’s policies and its mismanagement of the economy. Since my last visit a year ago (BMJ 2008;336:98, doi:10.1136/bmj.39450.635579.0F) 10 zeroes have been taken off the currency, inflation has reached 231 000 000%, and chronic food shortages and daily power cuts continue.

How bad do things need to get? Why don’t people collectively stand up against the regime that has wrecked this beautiful and once functioning country? People are tired, hungry, scared, and oppressed. The violence perpetrated by the followers of Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF remains fresh in people’s minds.

As I leave Zimbabwe, . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Zimbabwe faces a "major health disaster," as hospitals close

Ryan Truscott
BMJ 2008 337: a2710. [Extract] [Full Text]

A good QOFfing whine

Tony Delamothe
BMJ 2008 337: a2632. [Extract] [Full Text]

Zimbabwe: an eyewitness account

Kate Adams
BMJ 2008 336: 98. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Online poll

Find out more >>