Zimbabwe’s public health sector is bleeding millions of dollars because some health workers are stealing medicines and hospital supplies, according to Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini.
Responding to lawmakers in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Kwidini said the theft of drugs meant for patients and their resale to private pharmacies was a major drain on government resources. He was answering a question from Gutu South MP Pupurai Togarepi, who asked what controls were in place to stop medication ending up in private pharmacies instead of benefiting patients.
Kwidini said the government had engaged a company to install a tracking system that would monitor medicine movement from NatPharm to hospitals and pharmacies. “We now have a tracking system that has been installed. With this new system, we are going to ensure that our medication is protected in hospitals,” he said, warning that offenders would face prosecution.
The deputy minister also acknowledged that public hospitals and clinics were facing medicine shortages, with patients often given prescriptions to buy drugs elsewhere. He said the government was pursuing public-private partnerships to subsidise imported medicines and support local manufacturers to make drugs more affordable.
The issue was raised after Citizens Coalition for Change MP Blessing Makamure asked why residents were struggling to access healthcare at government hospitals.
