Growing shortage of essential drugs

A senior government official warned on Wednesday that Zimbabwe’s foreign currency deficit threatened to paralyse the country’s health delivery system. David Mbaya, director of pharmaceutical services at the health ministry, said the government now had only 30 percent of required essential drugs in stock, while vital life-saving equipment at government clinics had broken down. Speaking to the official daily, the ‘Bulawayo Chronicle’, he said, however, there was “no need to panic”. Another senior official at the ministry, Martin Nhorivo, said the shortages of spare parts for medical equipment had become critical. Their remarks followed a similar warning earlier this month by the health minister. “The situation is very critical because major hospitals cannot operate properly without this kind of equipment,” said Nhorivo. “We approached the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe about three months ago for foreign currency to purchase spare parts and to engage technicians from abroad to service the equipment, but we are yet to get a response.”