Before you start

Medical aid membership or private insurance
Passport and permit
A radiological certificate for the permit file

Step-by-step

1
Join a medical aid society before you arrive
CIMAS is the largest and publishes tiered packages in US dollars. Corporate cover through an employer is usually materially better than an individual policy — ask what the company scheme actually admits you to.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
2
Confirm which Bulawayo facilities your tier covers
The three central hospitals are public. Your medical aid will point you at specific private facilities, and which ones depends on the tier. Establish it before you need it.
OnlineWho: You
3
Take the water supply seriously as a health matter
The council publishes rotating shedding schedules of 120 and 130 hours a week by reservoir zone. Store water in sealed containers, treat stored water you are unsure of, and be careful about ice and salads when supply has been interrupted for days.
In personWho: You
4
Check cross-border referral
Serious and specialist cases are commonly referred to South Africa, and Bulawayo is closer to the border than Harare is. Confirm whether your cover extends across it, and how a referral is authorised.
OnlineWho: You
5
Get the radiological certificate done early
It is on the document list for every Zimbabwean permit category — a health requirement that is really an immigration requirement.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Medical aid card or insurance certificate
Passport and permit
Vaccination records
Radiological certificate for the permit file

Things most newcomers don’t know

Three of Zimbabwe's six central hospitals are in Bulawayo.

Mpilo, United Bulawayo Hospitals and Ingutsheni — the country's principal psychiatric hospital — are all here, against two in Harare. For a city a third of the capital's size that is a genuine advantage, and it is the strongest argument for Bulawayo over any other non-capital Zimbabwean city.

Source: Ministry of Health and Child Care — central hospitals

Water shedding is a health issue before it is an inconvenience.

Intermittent supply means stored water, and stored water means treating it. This is the mechanism behind Zimbabwe's recurrent waterborne disease outbreaks, and it is why 'does the property have a tank and a borehole' is a health question and not just a comfort one.

Source: Bulawayo City Council — water shedding schedules

There is no state scheme to enrol in, which surprises people.

Newcomers expect a national health insurance registration step. Zimbabwe has none. Medical aid is a private subscription in US dollars and is the single most important thing to have arranged before you land.

Source: Ministry of Health and Child Care

You are closer to the South African referral path here than in Harare.

Bulawayo sits on the Beitbridge and Plumtree corridors. If your cover includes cross-border treatment, the logistics are simpler from here — which cuts the other way if it does not.

Source: community-reported, standard practice

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving without cover and joining a scheme with a waiting period at the moment you need it.
Drinking or making ice from stored water you have not treated during a shedding period.
Assuming a package covers South African treatment because it says 'international'.
Leaving the radiological certificate until the permit file is otherwise complete.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.