Mpilo hit by drug shortages

MPILO Central Hospital has been hit by a serious shortage of drugs, a development that has been blamed on funding challenges.

The hospital's chief executive officer Mr Leonard Mabandi yesterday said a hospital was supposed to have 80 percent of drugs in stock, but they have only 50 percent.

Mr Mabandi said this in an interview following the donation of drugs, bandages, syringes, theatre equipment among other hospital essentials by Impilo Revival, a United Kingdom based charity organisation.

He said funding problems were compounding their problems.

Mr Mabandi hailed the UK-based charity for assisting the hospital. It was encouraging, he said, that Zimbabweans living abroad were concerned about challenges at the country's health institutions.

He said the donation would complement the hospitals efforts to save lives.

Impilo Revival founder Mrs Judith Olonga, a nurse by profession, said she started the charity organisation after losing five family members.