Drug shortages hit Zimbabwe hospitals

Zimbabwe's health delivery system has been compromised with revelations that district and provincial hospitals are failing to dispense basic drugs.

The country's 62 district hospitals, 8 provincial and 6 central hospitals used to stock and have drug supplies for up to two months.

Cash flow challenges have however seen the health facilities resorting to buying whenever the need arises.

The Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr David Parirenyatwa said while the 587 rural health facilities catering for the majority of Zimbabweans are well stocked, the situation is different from district hospitals level going up.

In the 2015 national budget, the Ministry of Health and Child Care was allocated US$301 million, which translates to about 6,3 percent of the country's national budget.

The figure represents a 2,2 percent decline from the 2014 allocation, which was US$337 million.