President Mnangagwa Has Appointed PSC Chair Vincent Hungwe As HSC Chair
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has appointed Dr. Vincent Hungwe as the chairperson of the new Health Service Commission (HSC) in Zimbabwe. Dr. Hungwe, who is also the chairperson of the Civil Service Commission, will be supported by Dr. Abigail Rugare Kangwende, a highly experienced medical practitioner, as the deputy chairperson. The appointments were announced by the Acting Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Mr Willard Manungo, the Chronicle. Manungo said in a statement:
Dr Hungwe has been appointed in terms Section 5 (1 )(a) of the Health Service Act, which provides that the Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission will be the Chairperson of the Health Service Commission. He brings a wealth of experience gained from chairing service commissions.
The HSC was established through the Health Service Amendment Act of 2022 and will replace the Health Services Board. Its role is to administer the conditions of service for members of the State’s health services.
The remaining five commissioners appointed by President Mnangagwa include Major General (Rtd) Gerald Gwinji, Dr. Edward Makondo, Mr. Engelbert Mbengwa, Mrs. Josephine Mwakutuya, and Mrs. Mercy Sibongile Gwaunza. These commissioners have extensive experience in the health sector, having served in various roles at senior levels.
Dr. Rugare Kangwende brings over 40 years of experience in the medical field, having worked as a government medical officer, director of monitoring and evaluation, and secretary for health and child care. She has also been involved in research and health workforce production.
Dr. Gwinji is a qualified medical doctor and senior administrator with over 35 years of experience in public health. He has held leadership positions in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces and served as the Secretary for Health and Child Care and Secretary for Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage.
Dr. Makondo is a nurse who is registered to work in general and mental health. He has a lot of experience in various areas of nursing, including clinical work, teaching, and administration. He worked his way up in the Ministry of Health and Child Care and became a deputy director responsible for nurse training and administration.
The other commissioners, Mr. Mbengwa, Mrs. Mwakutuya, and Mrs. Gwaunza, bring their expertise in human resources, health workforce regulation, and legal matters, respectively.
Mr. Mbengwa has worked in the government for more than 30 years and is an experienced human resources practitioner. He used to work for the Health Services Board, which is now the HSC. In his role as a general manager, he focused on monitoring and evaluating human resources and overall health service delivery.
Mrs. Mwakutuya has more than 30 years of experience in health workforce regulation. She has worked in different positions and gained expertise in this area. For example, she served as a Registrar at the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe.
Mrs. Gwaunza is an experienced legal practitioner with over 20 years of experience. She specializes in labor law, civil litigation, commercial law, arbitration, and conveyancing. Her knowledge and skills in these areas will be valuable in her role as a commissioner.
These appointments aim to strengthen the healthcare system in Zimbabwe by ensuring effective administration and regulation of the State health services.
