Residents Urge Council to Merge Health, Fire and Ambulance Services Budget

Bulawayo residents have urged the local authority to merge the proposed 2019 budget for health services with fire and ambulance services.

Luke Nyoni is one among residents who urged the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to merge the proposed 2019 budget for health services with fire and ambulance services.

On Friday, Nyoni a senior citizen attended a budget consultation meeting in Ward Nine’s Mpopoma, sat down with other residents and waited to express his ideas on the proposal. In the priorities for 2019 services, the BCC listed health as its second service priority, while fire and ambulance services ranked ninth.

“We heard your reason for increase in tariffs and wish the BCC to however merge the health priority with the fire and ambulance service as they primarily look at providing the state of wellness for everyone,” Nyoni said.

The Ward Nine councillor, Donaldson Mabutho indicated that there is need for awareness programs to be conducted for residents to make well-informed decisions and that a combined priority service would better serve people’s health related concerns.

“It [would] not change the budget as the figure for fire and and ambulances would be combined with that of health,” Mabutho said.

BCC expenditure and projected budgets for 2018/9

In 2018, the BCC had budgeted an expenditure of $21.50 million for health and $5.78 million for fire and ambulance services. In 2019, the BCC is proposing an expenditure of $25.46 million for health and a $6.39 million for fire and ambulances.

According to BCC documents, activities proposed under the 2019 health budget include construction of one clinic in Cowdray Park, renovation of facilities such as clinics, purchase of various equipments, and inspection and licensing of premises. For fire and ambulances, proposed activities for the coming year include conveying patients to health institutions, preventing fires by embarking on awareness campaigns, and saving lives and property by responding to calls.

“It takes people who can scrutinize as another resident raised that they need to be prepared when coming to such meetings,” he added.

A former candidate in 2018 elections from the MDC-T party, John Gasela, earlier on had this to say: “print and give us the budget before the consultation,” as documents explaining the proposed allocation of funds were presented only at the meeting.