A tough ‘health’ year gone by

medicines.

This was upon realisation that Zimbabwe imported about 80 percent of its medicine and medical sundries, some of which could be manufactured locally.

At least 60 percent of the imported medicines are from India, while the remainder comes from South Africa, Germany and the United States.

To help boost the country’s health sector, international financiers also expressed interest in pouring capital.

In March last year, Government met with Abbott Laboratories, an American company, which has created a new HIV viral load-testing device that is envisaged to cut operational costs in public health institutions by producing results in less than two hours.

Patients usually get their blood samples taken at local health centres, sent to central laboratories for analysis.

Results are only available for collection after several days.

The integration of testing services at local health institutions was seen as instrumental in the realisation of UNAids and Government’s 90-90-90 targets, which extend to a global goal to eradicate Aids by 2030.

In June, a group of 19 American firms in the health sector pledged US$400 million in investment commitments to Zimbabwe.

Representatives from some of the firms had a chance to meet Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency chairman

Dr Washington Mbizvo in Harare.

Stanley Brothers Biotech and Waters Corp, both big corporates in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, committed resources to medical marijuana research and production and the latest medical technology, respectively.

In August, Waters Corp donated US$500,000 worth of medical research equipment to advance local studies in medical marijuana and to conduct quality assurance tests on drugs imported or manufactured locally.

The donation was made to the University of Zimbabwe’s international pharmacology specialty laboratory located at the Medicine Control Authority of Zimbabwe.

This development is expected to save the country millions of dollars annually.

Despite the positive developments, last year was marred by chaotic industrial action pursuits by critical health sector personnel.

Since July, Harare City Council nurses have been reporting for duty for fewer days than normal, citing financial incapacitation.

Some junior and middle level doctors in public hospitals also stopped reporting for duty on September 3.

Government has been in several back and forth engagements with the professionals since then.

Their salary has since been increased three times by over 120 percent.

But the doctors remained adamant,