CAPS to reopen drip plant

CAPS Pharmaceuticals — Zimbabwe’s largest pharmaceuticals manufacturer — is this year set to reopen its plant that produces intravenous fluids (drips) for the region. The intravenous fluid plant was closed in 2012 owing to viability problems.

The reopening of the plant is expected to improve local availability of drips, which are largely being imported.

CAPS chief executive officer Mr Justice Majaka said they will start manufacturing drips in the third quarter of this year.

“We have made significant progress in constructing the main structure of the IV fluids plant and we now expect the plant to be ready for regulatory inspections by mid-2020,” he said.

“We expect to open the IV fluids plant in the third quarter assuming all regulatory inspections are done and approvals are granted.

“The IV fluids plant will have capacity supply the annual requirements of IV fluids for Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and

Namibia.”

Mr Majaka said unavailability of foreign currency had been the biggest challenge facing the company in setting up the plant.

“We have had challenges in importing some of the components due to shortage of foreign currency.

“However, we are now at the tail-end of the project. All required foreign currency for components has been availed and we await delivery from suppliers,” said Mr Majaka.

Pharmaceutical Society of Zimbabwe president Mr Portifa Mwendera said resuscitation of the drip plant was vital as the drug is critical in health institutions.

He said opening the plant will also save the country foreign currency.

“The re-commissioning of the plants will mean that we can significantly reduce the amount of foreign currency that is used by the pharmaceutical industry in the importation of these finished products.

Last year the company resumed manufacturing penicillin-based antibiotics.