News / National
Chikurubi Prison Hospital stock expired drugs
12 Mar 2015 at 07:55hrs | Views
Chikurubi Prison Hospital is said to be stocked with mostly paracetemol and cotrimoxazol in its pharmacy and available drugs have long expired.
HIV positive prisoners are admitted to Chikurubi without medical records a situation that causes them to defect on their ART and makes them vulnerable to deteriorating health.
According to a Senate first report of the thematic committee on HIV and AIDS on the ART roll out programme in some health institutions in Harare, conditions at Chikurubi were appalling.
"Antibiotics were said to be in short supply, except cotrimoxazole. The Committee observed that the pharmacy was stocked with mostly paracetemol and cotrimoxazole. Some of the drugs on the shelves had expired or were about to expire. Prison authorities reported that they had never experienced ARV and TB drug stock outs, but had experienced low stocks in drugs for treatment of opportunistic infections.
The committee said Chikurubi Prison officials said there was a severe shortage of drugs at the hospital.
"In fact, no new drugs had been purchased in 2014 at the time of the Committee's visit. All the ARVs and anti TB drugs were donated by various organisations. One organisation was reported to have made a cash donation of $100 000 to the prison for purchasing drugs and food.
At Chikurubi Prison Hospital, the Committee learnt that 1867 prisoners are on ART country wide and about 500 of these are female.
"At the time the Committee visited Chikurubi, there were 325 prisoners on ART. Zimbabwe Prison services has only 2 accredited Anti-Retroviral Therapy sites, that is, Harare Central and Khami Prisons. The Committee was informed that other sites were not accredited because they could not meet the minimum standard requirement," reads part of the report.
HIV positive prisoners are admitted to Chikurubi without medical records a situation that causes them to defect on their ART and makes them vulnerable to deteriorating health.
According to a Senate first report of the thematic committee on HIV and AIDS on the ART roll out programme in some health institutions in Harare, conditions at Chikurubi were appalling.
"Antibiotics were said to be in short supply, except cotrimoxazole. The Committee observed that the pharmacy was stocked with mostly paracetemol and cotrimoxazole. Some of the drugs on the shelves had expired or were about to expire. Prison authorities reported that they had never experienced ARV and TB drug stock outs, but had experienced low stocks in drugs for treatment of opportunistic infections.
"In fact, no new drugs had been purchased in 2014 at the time of the Committee's visit. All the ARVs and anti TB drugs were donated by various organisations. One organisation was reported to have made a cash donation of $100 000 to the prison for purchasing drugs and food.
At Chikurubi Prison Hospital, the Committee learnt that 1867 prisoners are on ART country wide and about 500 of these are female.
"At the time the Committee visited Chikurubi, there were 325 prisoners on ART. Zimbabwe Prison services has only 2 accredited Anti-Retroviral Therapy sites, that is, Harare Central and Khami Prisons. The Committee was informed that other sites were not accredited because they could not meet the minimum standard requirement," reads part of the report.
Source - Byo24News
