Tafadzwa Ndlovu Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe’s stock of vital drugs and medical supplies is improving and has now reached a satisfactory level of around 50 percent, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Paul Chimedza said yesterday.
He said this at a handover ceremony where a local church, Celebration Ministries, and its partners Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and CitiHope International donated drugs worth US$8 million to Government for distribution to seven hospitals.

“This donation comes at a time when the overall availability level of medicines is in the region of 50 percent according to the stock status report from NatPharm at the beginning of the third quarter,” Deputy Minister Chimedza said.

“The medicines will fill an important gap in hospitals and clinics as they provide services to expectant patients.”
He said stakeholders should continue to support the country’s public health sector which was still reeling from chronic shortages of generic and antiretroviral drugs, stock-outs and high drug import costs which were preventing the majority of the poor from accessing essential drugs in the country.

The first of two consignments received by the Ministry of Health and Child Care would be distributed to Harare Central, United Bulawayo, Mpilo, Chitungwiza, Ingutsheni, Chikurubi Maximum and Khami Prison Hospitals.

Celebration Health chairperson Mr Simbarashe Sibanda said their partnership with Coca-Cola Africa Foundation and CitiHope would continue to help complement Government’s efforts to improve health services in this country.

Mr Honest Marandu, Coca-Cola country manager, urged other relevant stakeholders to participate and engage themselves in such partnerships to help boost the country’s health delivery system.

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