Critical Shortage of Basic Drugs As Pharmacies Receive Only US$3m/Week Instead of US$65m/Week

Th Ministry of Health and Child Care has admitted that there is a shortage of basic drugs in the country but has blamed the shortage on the low allocation of foreign currency. Speaking to the Sunday Mail, Ministry of Health and Child Care deputy director of pharmacy Mr Newman Madzikwa said:

The main challenge we are facing is the shortage of foreign currency since we import the things like inhalers from Indian and European manufacturers for those who are asthmatic.

Foreign currency has been a problem from the crisis of ARVs, diabetic tablets and insulin; and now asthma drugs. Unless measures are put in place to make sure that foreign currency is availed to the pharmaceutical industry, we will have consistent problems from one drug to the other.

We are requesting US$65 million a week which is required by the pharmaceutical industry, but banks cannot disburse that money at once and we are getting around US$3 million weekly.

More: Sunday Mail