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Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter
The National Pharmaceutical Company of Zimbabwe (Natpharm) is strengthening its manufacturing unit to boost local production of medical consumables, the company has said.

This comes after Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino Chiwenga challenged local pharmaceutical companies to look beyond their largely retail role and invest in the production of medical consumables.

NatPharm acting managing director Air Commodore (Rtd) Ivan Dumba said the company has taken a different trajectory from focusing on the traditional roles of storage and distribution of medicines.

“We are going into the manufacturing of medicines here at NatPharm.  We would not have been able to do that without assistance and collaboration from our state universities,” said Air Commodore (Rtd) Dumba.

“Typically, in the case of NatPharm the Harare Institute of Technology has taken the lead in this regard.

“The initial phases that we are currently undertaking are going to be escalated to the production of other medicines such as for antiretroviral drugs and other chronic conditions,” said Air Commodore (Rtd) Dumba.

Natpharm will soon roll out a massive manufacturing unit of sanitisers and the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro gave more details.

“Initially our universities were doing the production, but the trust is that the tertiary institutions should do the innovation and after that industry takes over the production cycle,” said Dr Mangwiro.