The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) says the country is not prepared to deal with the coronavirus.
ZADHR chair Dr Fortune Nyamande said according to a survey carried out this week, public health institutions have no capacity to even detect the virus.
"Nothing special has been done by government to equip doctors in case the virus reaches Zimbabwe," said Nyamande.
"This is a new phenomenon and we are worried that most of the doctors have no information about it. Doctors need to be trained, equipped with drugs and sundries to counter the coronavirus, as it is almost inevitable. But . there is still a critical shortage of basics.
"If we are caught unaware there won't be any backup."
The outbreak, believed to have originated in central China late last year, has now infected at least 31,000 people and caused more than 700 deaths, mostly in China.
Nyamande said the government also needs to enforce adequate surveillance measures at all ports of entry to the country and provide secluded treatment facilities.
Community Working Group on Health director Itai Rusike urged the government to provide accurate information to its citizens about the infectious virus.
Ministry of health & childcare director Gibson Mhlanga said the process has begun.
"On Wednesday we had a meeting with private doctors and university doctors as well as other stakeholders to give them an update of what we are doing as a country.
We are sending out health educational materials to the population. We are also communicating through our Twitter handle and website, giving people information so they know how to handle the situation should they be confronted with a case of the virus," he said.
But immigration workers at ports of entry, especially those bordering Botswana at Victoria Falls, have not been equipped despite the area serving many Chinese tourists.
"Large numbers of tourists accompanied by their tour guides do daily trips from Victoria Falls to Botswana at Chobe Safaris, but we just serve them without any screening," said a border control employee on the Zimbabwe side.
"Since the outbreak, Botswana immigration officials have been screening their clients and they are asking us why we haven't done the same."
So far only airports have been screening arrivals.
Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun encouraged Zimbabweans to minimise travel to his country until the outbreak is contained.
He urged Chinese nationals returning to Zimbabwe after the holidays to self-quarantine for two weeks to avoid bringing the virus into the country.
A coronavirus infection can lead to fever, chest pains, chills and difficulty in breathing, headache, sore throat, a cough, pneumonia and kidney failure.
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