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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Manicaland Bureau
GOVERNMENT has said Manicaland has sufficient supply of tuberculosis drugs. Zimbabwe experienced a crippling shortage of the drug – rhzefdc – in most health institutions between June and August following delays in delivery by the Global Drug Facility.

While supplies were delivered three weeks ago, some patients in remote parts of the province have said they had not been able to access medication.

Manicaland provincial medical director Dr Patron Mafaune said the situation was back under control and there were sufficient stocks for all health institutions.

“We experienced shortages, but Government took delivery of TB drugs three weeks ago and there is adequate supply at Natpharm,” he said. “However, we are yet to conduct an audit to see if there are any institutions that are still facing challenges, but we urge all institutions that have not yet collected the drugs to do so.”

TB is treatable, but failure to access treatment increases chances of development of drug resistant strains, which are difficult to treat, take longer to respond to treatment and are expensive compared to ordinary TB.

Zimbabwe is among the 30 high TB- burdened countries in the world.