Concern grows over shortages of medicines

Zimbabwe's health minister, Timothy Stamps, this week warned of a looming shortage of drugs and because the government no longer had the money to pay for imported medicines.

"I would be irresponsible not to sound this warning," Stamps, who is a medical doctor, told a news conference. "We are faced with a possible shortage of drug supplies for essential requirements such as anti-retroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, blood pressure and insulin, among others."

But news reports said most of Zimbabwe's 1,082 public health centres had been stocking up on malaria and cholera medicines in anticipation of the shortages.

Meanwhile, a coalition of medical organisations has appealed to President Robert Mugabe to make hospitals and clinics "safe zones" and protect them from rural violence sweeping the country in the run-up to the 24-25 June parliamentary elections.

The Community Working Group on Health said in a statement health facilities were being shut down, and in some cases their employees attacked in rural areas. The body, which is includes doctors, chemists and nurses cited examples of victims of political violence being denied treatment.

It said the government had to "protect health facilities against invasion, political intimidation of any sort of closure and ensure that health facilities constitute safe zones where intimidation and violence cannot take place". It also called for "decisive legal" against anyone interfering with
access of the public to medical assistance.